NEWSLETTER

In a case handled by Ford & Harrison attorneys, a federal court in Florida recently held that an employee's submission of "negative certification" indicating that she could, in fact, work, doomed her Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) claim. See Allen v. Progress Energy, Inc. (M.D. Fla. 2009).

In this case, Allen missed numerous days of work for a variety of reasons and ultimately used all of her sick time and paid vacation. Subsequently, the employer learned that she was pregnant. Allen missed several more days of work and claimed she was unable to work due to morning sickness and dehydration from vomiting.

Allen applied for short-term disability through Liberty Mutual, the employer's third party disability provider, but it denied her claim because the medical forms she submitted indicated that she could, in fact, work. Liberty informed Allen of its denial of her claim and the reason for that denial.

Subsequently, Allen told the employer's human resources department that she believed her absences were covered by the FMLA. The company e-mailed Allen FMLA forms and told her to complete and return them. Allen did not submit the forms. She did, however, ask Liberty to send to the employer the medical documentation she had submitted in support of her request for short-term disability benefits. Liberty did so; however, none of the forms it sent the employer indicated that Allen was unable to work. Liberty sent the employer three forms signed by Allen's doctor, each of which answered "yes" to the question of whether the patient "can return to work full-time now within the restrictions listed above."

After receiving the forms from Liberty, the employer discharged Allen. Allen then sued the employer, claiming her discharge violated the FMLA. In granting summary judgment in favor of the employer, the court held that where an employee claims to be incapacitated but submits medical documentation indicating that the employee can work, the employer may rely on the doctor's "negative certification" in denying leave. The court noted that this is not a case in which Allen claimed she was not aware of the need to submit medical documentation. Instead, Allen submitted documentation, although it was not in the form the employer requested, and this documentation indicated she could work. Accordingly, her discharge did not violate the FMLA.

If you have questions regarding the FMLA or would like more information regarding this decision, please contact the attorneys who represented Progress Energy, Dawn Siler-Nixon, dsiler-nixon@fordharrison.com, 813-261-4834 or Bridget Escobar, bescobar@fordharrison.com, 813-261-7852. •

Diversity is one of those issues where Ford & Harrison strives to be a leader. In a continuing effort to push our firm as well as the legal profession to evolve beyond merely talking about the issues surrounding diversity but to "move forward," I am happy to share with you the inaugural issue of Diversity…Moving Forward. This newsletter will be published several times a year and will educate you about the diversity activities and events our lawyers and offices are involved in and the honors and recognition our clients are receiving with their own diversity efforts. We will also present "Diversity Champion" and "Spirit of Inclusion" awards which are explained further in this newsletter. As the firm's first Diversity and Inclusion Partner, my goal is to keep the topic of diversity in everyone's minds and further our firm's diversity efforts and "Move Forward!"

October was Diversity Awareness Month. In a recent article published in the October 1, 2009 Edition of Inside Counsel, aptly entitled "Moving Forward" by Laurie N. Robinson, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at CBS Corp. and Founder and CEO of Corporate Counsel Women of Color, she encouraged those law departments who have not already gotten on board the train to do so. She notes that it is critical for law firms and legal departments across America "to strive to reflect the diversity of the highest office in this land and to keep diversity at the forefront, even in the midst of economic downturn." She also notes that "[a]s a profession, we must now evolve beyond articles continuously explaining the business case for diversity to persuade, convince and cajole law departments to do the right thing. At this stage, if ever we are to move diversity forward, we must take concrete action." Ford & Harrison, along with many of our clients and businesses throughout the country, have done just that!

Our firm has clearly defined its policy and objectives regarding diversity and has communicated these to our attorneys and employees as well as our clients and business associates. However, we have gone beyond merely stating our commitment to putting that commitment in action through designating a Diversity Committee and developing a Diversity Strategic Plan to guide our footsteps and hold us accountable with specific tasks, action items, benchmarks and well-defined goals. Our Diversity Committee facilitates the development and implementation of our plan and is comprised of executive committee members (3), office managing partners (2), partners (8), associates (1) and firm directors (3), who join together on a monthly basis to collaborate, gauge our progress, focus our steps in the right direction and take action to ensure that we are being proactive in the communities in which we live and work regarding diversity and inclusion. At Ford & Harrison, we focus on four main areas. First, Recruiting - creating a diverse and multi-cultural organization to act as a resource to our clients, the communities we live in, our firm, and the legal profession. Second, Education - reviewing legal issues, identifying best practices, and researching issues relating to diversity and inclusion with a focus on recognizing, valuing and effectively managing differences. Third, Balance - emphasizing the need for a balance between staff and lawyers' responsibilities at work and home, placing a priority on family duties and responsibilities, with the goal of promoting a healthy working atmosphere. Fourth, Leadership - increasing and enhancing partner, associate and staff leadership diversity in all offices and at all levels, with a particular focus on racial/ethnic and gender differences. Through the continual review and assessment of our actions and progress we are "Moving Forward" towards our goal of diversity and inclusion. You can learn more about our firm's commitment to diversity at www.fordharrison.com/about.aspx?Show=677.

In 2009 alone, our lawyers and staff are integrally involved in more than 80 organizations and events directly supporting diversity and inclusion in the communities in which we live, work and serve. We "walk the talk" at Ford & Harrison and are proud of our commitment, evidenced by the time, money and energy we spend in support of these organizations and events. We have included a small snapshot of some of those organizations and activities herein.

Ford & Harrison is "Moving Forward" in the right direction towards diversity and inclusion in our firm and our profession as a whole. As Robinson so aptly noted, "[m]oving diversity forward requires ongoing leadership on the part of in-house attorneys, outside counsel and senior management. Putting diversity on the table and getting multiple people to participate in the process, in the end, will get the profession to moving in the direction of being inclusive. An inclusive working environment creates a win-win solution for the workforce, the company and its clients." Please join us in "Moving Forward!!"

On April 30, 2009, Ford & Harrison participated in the YWCA's 13th Annual Circle of Women Fundraiser luncheon. The Circle of Women event celebrates the power of women to create a legacy through philanthropic support and vision. The theme of this year's event was Women's Leadership Across Generations. Women and girls of all ages spoke about the opportunities provided by the YWCA and how the YWCA has shaped their lives and allowed them to develop into leaders in the community.

Thirteen-year-old Kiyanne spoke about how the YWCA has taught her to make healthy choices and become a role model for other youth in the Little Earth community in South Minneapolis. She talked about how other kids in her community use drugs and how the YWCA has taught her that she deserves better than a life of drug abuse. Roda, a freshman at the University of Minnesota, spoke about her experience as a Muslim, Oromo young woman. Jenna, a young single mom, spoke about how the daycare scholarship provided by the YWCA allowed her to find employment and leave her abusive relationship. The YWCA provides Jenna's three-year-old daughter with quality early childhood education and helps Jenna become a more empowered parent. Finally, community leader Mary Lee Dayton shared her experience on the YWCA board beginning in 1957 and how it helped her develop as a leader.

Funds raised at the Circle of Women event support the YWCA's programs and community outreach. In 2008, the YWCA provided services to over 5,300 people. Most YWCA program participants were from low-income households and were people of color. A record crowd of 1,320 attended this year's Circle of Women event. For the second year, Ford & Harrison's Minneapolis office sponsored a table and hosted several firm clients for the event. The office looks forward to participating in next year's event.

On February 28, 2009, Ford & Harrison showed its continued support for diversity by participating in the Second Annual Central Florida Diversity Picnic, at the Tampa campus of the Stetson University College of Law. The primary goal of the Diversity Picnic, which is modeled after the Minority Mentorship Picnic held in South Florida since 2003, is to give minority law students an opportunity to meet and begin creating mentorship relationships with attorneys and members of the judiciary from across Central Florida. Most importantly, the Diversity Picnic also gives the firm a unique opportunity to market itself while recruiting diverse candidates. In fact, Kelly Chanfrau, a partner in the Tampa Office, first met and recruited Luis Santos, one of the Tampa Office's 2009 summer associates and incoming fall associates for 2010, at the first Central Florida Diversity Picnic held in 2008.

Approximately 500 individuals participated in this year's Diversity Picnic, including local lawyers and judges, and law students from Florida's several law schools across the state. Judge Gregory Sleet, the first African-American Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, served as the guest speaker and delivered a message reflecting on the continued importance of diversity in the legal community. This year's Diversity Picnic was hosted by the Diversity Committee of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, the Tampa Bay Hispanic Bar Association, the George Edgecomb Bar Association, the Sarasota County Bar's Diversity Committee and the Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar.

On Saturday, May 2, 2009, Ford & Harrison supported the Washington Bar Association ("WBA") Annual Law Day Dinner with over six thousand Washington area lawyers and judges in attendance. The theme of this year's Law Day Dinner was "Houstonian Jurisprudence: Paving the Way for Change." The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General of the United States, was presented the WBA's Houston Medallion of Merit for 2009. The WBA also awarded three law school scholarships to law students.

The Houston Medallion of Merit is presented in honor of Charles Hamilton Houston, one of the founders of the WBA. Charles Hamilton Houston, a native Washingtonian, graduated from Harvard Law School in 1922, and was the first African-American member of the Harvard Law Review. After studying international law in Spain, Houston was appointed the Vice Dean of Howard University Law School. It was at Howard University where he became legendary for using law and litigation to effectuate social change. His students and protégés at Howard included Justice Thurgood Marshall, James Nabrit, William Hastie, Spottswood Robinson, and A. Leon Higginbotham. Houston also served as General Counsel to the NAACP, and challenged the "separate but equal" doctrine relating to educational facilities for black students. Houston died in 1950, four years prior to the issuance of Brown v. Board of Education, after years of litigation in several states.

The Houston Medallion of Merit is awarded annually to an individual who demonstrates a commitment to the following ideals and jurisprudence of Charles Houston:

1. A jurisprudence which observes and recognizes law as an organism for social justice through social engineering;
2. A jurisprudence which espouses and demands scholarship, discipline, perseverance, vigilance and dedication in the totality of the legal, social and governmental framework;
3. A jurisprudence which impels and challenges man to leadership and service for the betterment of the human race; and
4. A jurisprudence which serves and operates through the instrumentality of law to disrobe and destroy the man-perceived encumbrances and trappings of birth, origin, color, creed, or religion.

In accepting the Houston Medallion of Merit, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder stated that the pursuit of equality and justice is paramount to the Justice Department. US Attorney General Holder highlighted the inequality in sentencing for drug convictions involving various forms of cocaine and the Justice Department's commitment to ensure equality.

The WBA is an affiliate chapter of the National Bar Association.

On March 12, 2009, the women of Ford & Harrison's Phoenix office hosted the 2nd Annual "Martinis & Manicures" event to honor ATHENA nominees and finalists. This event was a huge success with more than 40 guests, including six Athena recipients and the 2008 ATHENA Young Professional award winner, who enjoyed the good food, drinks, and of course - the manicures.

What is ATHENA?

The ATHENA Award® was created in 1982 to honor community role models and recognize leadership initiatives among women. Each year finalists are selected in cities across the country in an effort to put a familiar face and voice to the idea of leader. The awards are inspired by the goddess of Greek mythology known for her strength, courage, wisdom and enlightenment. As such, each finalist exemplifies the spirit of ATHENA by excelling in her profession, being active in the community, and reaching out to assist other women in their attainment of professional excellence.

Ford & Harrison is honored to host an event like this that recognizes outstanding business women in Phoenix.

The Tampa office is supporting the Hillsborough County Bar Association's Diversity Committee's Third Annual Holiday Doll Drive, which encourages the donation of minority dolls for distribution to needy children in Hillsborough County. HCBA's Diversity Committee started the holiday doll drive so that minority children, who make up 43 percent of the country's population under 20, could have a doll that looked like them. Through the Firm's donations and others from the Tampa Bay community, a parent or caregiver can chose an unwrapped doll for each child in their family (as well as other gifts that are donated each year) from the local Metropolitan Ministries. Their selections are then wrapped by a volunteer. This doll or toy is often the only gift the child receives during the holiday season. Last year, The HCBA Holiday Doll Drive collected approximately 300 dolls and action figures and over 15,000 families registered with Metropolitan Ministries for holiday assistance.

Many donate to the holiday doll drive because of the research of Mamie and Kenneth Clark. The Clarks were African-American educational psychologists who met at Howard University and married in 1938. Kenneth Clark was the first African-American to earn a doctorate in psychology at Columbia in 1940, and the first African-American President of the American Psychological Association. Mamie was the first woman and second African-American to earn her doctorate in psychology at Columbia.

Their accomplishments were many, but their work towards desegregation of American schools was most impressive. They published on the subject of self-perception in black children and founded the Northside Center for child development in Harlem, which, from 1946 to this day, serves Harlem children and their families. The Clarks' studies and work on race were cited in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kan..

The Clarks conducted experiments with dolls and young children in the 1940s. They would present black dolls and white dolls to African American children, requesting that they pick one, or point to the one that was pretty or nice or bad, etc. The children seemed to prefer the white dolls to the black ones, but when asked to pick the doll that looked like them, they picked the black one. The Clarks found the results of these studies to be evidence that the children had been stigmatized by segregation and racism. One of the keys to self-esteem and pride is a positive image of one's self, and the Clarks' studies impressed the Supreme Court Justices.

The Tampa Office of Ford & Harrison LLP is proud to be a part of the HCBA Diversity Committee's Annual Holiday Doll Drive.

Founded in 1997 to advocate for the expanded hiring, retention, and promotion of minority attorneys in corporate law departments and the law firms that serve them, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) has developed into one of the most respected organizations promoting diversity within the legal profession. Each year the MCCA sponsors the CLE Expo, a conference designed to promote diversity in the workplace and present on-point, legal programming relative to corporate counsel's ever-changing practice, in addition to providing networking opportunities for attorneys with decision making in-house minority general counsel.

Ford & Harrison supported this year's MCCA CLE Expo held March 26-28, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. More than ever before, in-house counsel must be prepared to meet daily new challenges, face new risks, and thrive in the new corporate environment. MCCA is where corporate counsel of color can turn to receive thoughtful, targeted programming to meet their needs as corporate counsel confronting trying times. MCCA's 8th Annual CLE Expo was developed just for those needs. It provided an opportunity to build bridges by bringing together the best and the brightest in the legal industry with a special emphasis on talented minority and women attorneys.

The conference provided a dedicated track of seminars specific to labor and employment issues conducted by seasoned private practice attorneys and in-house counsel. The networking activities and breaks presented many opportunities to meet in-house counsel and attorneys from all over the country. The final session included a panel discussion by the General Counsel from various companies including Dupont Company, Sara Lee Corporation and Exelon Corporation. The General Counsel shared practical insights about their approach to retaining and managing outside counsel as well as their emphasis on diversity and expectations of outside counsel in the area of diversity. One of the overarching themes of the discussion was that despite the tough economic times, their corporate law departments would not compromise in their commitment to diversity and their expectations of outside counsel.

Krakow. The Warsaw Ghetto. Auschwitz. Birkenau. Majdanek. Marietta, Georgia.

What do these names have in common? They are all places where people killed Jews just for being Jews. I visited the other places during an interfaith mission that the Anti-Defamation League sponsored in 2005. Our group included religious and lay leaders from the Atlanta community. We were Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims; ministers, priests, and rabbis; corporate and civic leaders; and ordinary citizens like me. We came from different religious faiths, races, and backgrounds, but we shared the belief that bigotry and hatred have no place in American society.

We flew to Poland, and at Auschwitz, along with 18,000 other people from around the world, we participated in the "March of the Living." This is an annual event during which people march from Auschwitz I to Auschwitz II (Birkenau) to celebrate the liberation of the death camps in 1945. We saw the infamous Plaszow work camp made famous by "Schindler's List"; we walked the streets and squares of what little remains of the Warsaw Ghetto where the Nazis herded Jews into cattle cars for the journey to the concentration camps.

After spending four days in Poland, we flew to Israel. Going from the gray, cold, rainy environment of Poland into the blazing sunlight of Israel was a remarkable journey, both physically and spiritually. In Israel, we met in small groups with Israeli leaders Shimon Peres, Ehud Olmert, and Tzipi Livni. We dined with Palestinian leaders, Israeli, American and Palestinian journalists, and mayors of cities in the West Bank. We saw the separation wall; we argued about the upcoming Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip. We explored Jerusalem and prayed at the Western Wall; we floated on the Dead Sea; we walked at the top of Masada where centuries ago a small band of Jews fought the Roman army. Rather than surrender to the Romans, the Jews committed mass suicide. From the Golan Heights, we saw all of the Sea of Galilee; the Syrian border was no more than a few miles away behind us. We trekked along the shores of Galilee where Jesus lived, and we crossed the Jordan River.

Atlanta has a special relationship with ADL: the case of Leo Frank. An educated and assimilated Jew from the north, Frank managed a pencil factory in Atlanta. In 1913, he was accused of killing a young gentile girl, Mary Phagan. In an atmosphere poisoned by a mob yelling, "kill the Jew," Frank was tried in Fulton County Superior Court, was convicted, and was sentenced to death. In 1915, then-Georgia governor John Slaton, after reviewing the case at length and at great risk to his political career, commuted Frank's sentence from death to life in prison. Slaton believed the evidence did not support the guilty verdict. But, with the help of local politicians and citizens, a group of men abducted Frank from prison and lynched him in Marietta in August 1915.

Frank's lynching led to two remarkably dissimilar events: first, the revival of the Ku Klux Klan, and second, the formation of the Anti-Defamation League. The mission of the ADL is "to stop, by appeals to reason and conscience and, if necessary, by appeals to law, the defamation of the Jewish people. Its ultimate purpose is to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike and to put an end forever to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens." ADL works to protect, investigate, and educate. It works closely with law enforcement officials around the country. It monitors extremist activity, and investigates hate crimes. It educates people about bigotry, racism, and hate. It promotes diversity in schools and teaches children about the dangers of bullying.

In 1993, I began attending ADL meetings in Atlanta. I found the meetings not only intellectually stimulating and challenging, but also long and sometimes frustrating. I make yearly contributions to ADL because I feel its mission and work are important. My law firm, Ford & Harrison, has sponsored the ADL's annual Jurisprudence Awards luncheon, which honors lawyers in the Atlanta community who have made outstanding contributions to the cause of eliminating hatred and bigotry. The firm has also sponsored the annual "Community of Respect" dinner, which recognizes community leaders for their good deeds and work in fighting hatred and bigotry.

Why does Ford & Harrison support ADL? As lawyers and members of the Bar, we are sworn to support the rule of law and the principle of equal justice for all. As human beings, we must look for ways to give back to the community and leave it in a better place than it was before we got here. We need to measure ourselves not just by the revenue we generate for the firm, by the number of hours we bill in a year, or by the number of "wins" for our clients, but also by what we do in the community and the impact we make on our fellow citizens, especially those who are victims of, and victimized by, hate. ADL provides the vehicle for us to do these things.

ADL's work can be summed up in a quotation from Rabbi Hillel (ca. 110 B.C. to 10 B.C.). Rabbi Hillel said: "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?"

Why ADL? That is why.

Ford & Harrison and members of the Center for Women's Philanthropy (CWP), an initiative of the Community Foundation of Central Florida, recognize that not only must women have a purse of their own, as Susan B. Anthony chided, but women must use their money to bring about change in society.

The Center, launched in 2005 by a small group of women, including myself, seeks to engage, educate, and inspire women to carry out philanthropy in Central Florida. The Center currently houses the Women's Endowment Fund (which supports women's issues) and three giving circles- where a group of women equally pool their money and decide collectively how to use that money to make a difference.

CWP's initial giving circle, the Venture Philanthropists, consists of 10 women (including me) who banded together in 2002. We have since given over $125,000 to a local domestic violence shelter to train their board and staff in governance and fundraising and to hire a development director; trained other local nonprofit boards in the Raising More Money fundraising model; seeded the CWP and 100 Women Strong; and provided over $80,000 to two groups providing support services to minority and immigrant teenage girls to help increase their self-esteem and coping skills, eliminate risky behaviors, and decrease incidents of stress related illnesses and diseases.

A second giving circle, 100 Women Strong, consists of 100 women who each contribute $1,100 per year, and was created in 2006. 100 Women Strong's grant winners are announced at its annual "Power of the Purse" (POP) event, which has been sponsored by Ford & Harrison for the past two years. Grants totaling over $210,000 have included: funding a midwifery program, providing a court advocate for domestic violence victims, designing a coordinated system of prenatal care for uninsured women, combating SIDS by sending "onesies" (bearing an arrow from back to front) home from local hospitals with new babies, and teaching health and attendant vocabulary to nonreader women. A highlight of the POP is the auctioning of purses made by local artists. Last year, not only did several Orlando attorneys and paralegals attend, but my mentee, Lavern Wilson, a Tampa associate also came.

In Her Shoes, for "emerging" women and at the $550/year level, is CWP's newest giving circle. Charter members include Ford & Harrison's own Betty Joseph (Orlando associate) and Amy Cook (Orlando paralegal). Katie Terry (Orlando associate) has faithfully served on the steering committee to get this giving circle up and going.

In May 2009, the CWP sponsored "A Conversation With Philanthropists Among Us," to encourage women to be intentional with their philanthropy and to leverage their resources. Other educational events have included a breakfast with former Colorado Congresswoman Pat Schroeder (a member of three giving circles), and a domestic violence luncheon forum. As the immediate past chair of the CWP Advisory Board, I kicked off the event. Ford & Harrison, which has sponsored all three events, was also represented by Orlando's Terry, Cook, Joseph, and Jessica Walberg.

• African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida
• Airport Advisory Minority Council
• American Bar Association's Women in the Profession Committee
• Anti-Defamation League
• Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County (APABA)
• Associated Builders and Contractors Women's Council
• Association of Women Attorneys
• California Women Lawyers Association
• Center for Women in Philanthropy
• Central Florida Association of Women Lawyers
• Chicago Bar Association Alliance for Women
• Cuban-American Bar Association
• Dallas Hispanic Bar Association
• Dallas Young Lawyers Association, Minority Involvement Committee
• DC Commission on Human Rights
• Florida Association for Women Lawyers
• George Edgecomb Bar Association
• Georgia Association for Women Lawyers
• Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys
• Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers
• Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Hispanic National Bar Association
• IndusBar of Georgia, Association of South Asian Lawyers in Georgia
• Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association
• Latin American Association
• Memphis Urban League Young Professionals
• Memphis Women's Bar Association
• Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers
• Minnesota Women Lawyers
• National Association of African Americans in Human Resources
• National Bar Association (African-American Bar Association)
• National Conference of Women's Bar Associations
• National Employment Law Council
• New York Women's Bar Association
• South Florida Minority Law Student Mentoring Program

This award is given to a Ford & Harrison office, group or individual who has distinguished themselves through their outstanding commitment to promoting diversity, understanding, inclusion and awareness. The recipient has actively worked to reduce obstacles that prevent an open dialogue regarding diversity and inclusion, through their personal involvement, activities and actions, both within the firm and in their surrounding community. Through this award recipient's actions, bridges have been built that will advance the infrastructure of diversity and inclusion throughout Ford & Harrison.

The winner of the first F&H Spirit of Inclusion Award is the Miami office! No one can argue that they are the most diverse of any office in the firm. In addition to having three Hispanic partners, they have one Hispanic associate and two Hispanic staff members – all of Cuban descent. They also have a Jewish partner and a very diverse staff that includes a Jamaican-American, a Peruvian-American and a Cuban-American. Their 15-person office also includes eight women and seven men! The office's diversity extends beyond gender, race and religion and includes an openly gay partner and staff member.

As diverse individuals, the members of the Miami office recognize the importance of promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and their personal communities through involvement in diversity-related activities and organizations. In particular, the Miami office has participated in the South Florida Annual Minority Mentoring Picnic for the last six years and has been a sponsor for the last four years. This event allows members of the South Florida legal community, including judges, lawyers and professors, to mingle and network with minority law school students. In addition, Bill Radford, Pedro Forment, Liz Rodriguez and several other Miami lawyers have been active in mentoring minority law school students from several local law schools. In 2007, Bill received the "Mentor of the Year" award from the South Florida Regional Black Law Students Association in recognition of his devotion to mentoring.

In addition, the entire office has personally embraced activities that are important not only to them and their culture and beliefs, but to the firm as a whole. These include:

Organizations: Cuban American Bar Association, Elevate, Emily's List, Florida Association of Women Lawyers, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Miami Women's Panhellenic, Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation, Shake-A-Leg of Miami, Temple Beth Am, Women's Fund of Miami Dade

Activities: Director, Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation; Board Member, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (focusing on public health in minority communities); Mentor, Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (focus on minority judicial intern opportunities); Committee Member; Miami Dade Public Schools Business Technology Education Advisory Committee (focus on technical programs designed and used primarily by minorities); Judge, Future Business Leaders of America Public School Districts 23/24 Leadership Conference (focus on minority community); Committee Member, Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Advisory Committee (serving minority population); Mentor, South Florida Minority Law Student Mentoring Program

Congratulations to all of the members of the Miami office for this well-deserved award!

These organizations are Ford & Harrison's client leaders of diversity and inclusion. They have been recognized as being leaders in this important area and have been chosen and recognized by their employees, peers, industry groups and organizations as being leaders of change and innovation in not only recognizing the need for diversity and inclusion, but taking significant steps towards its advancement in their industry and beyond. We are proud at Ford & Harrison to have partnered with these diversity elite who have made a long-lasting impact on our profession and the world as a whole.