Press Release
Press Release
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Olivia Thomas
03.27.19
Pillsbury has named Intellectual Property partner Ngai Zhang as its 2019 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellow. The LCLD’s Fellows program aims to identify, train and advance the next generation of diverse leaders in the legal profession. It offers participants a year-long, in-depth program devoted to relationship-building, in-person training, peer-group projects and extensive contact with LCLD’s top leadership and the best teachers in the business.
Additionally, the firm has chosen Litigation associate Charisse Alexander to be a member of the LCLD’s 2019 class of Pathfinders, a program that trains high-performing, early-career attorneys in critical career development strategies including leadership and the building of professional networks. The Pathfinder Program offers participants intensive in-person training, online experiential learning and opportunities to network with peers and LCLD Fellows in small group gatherings.
“Being named an LCLD Fellow is a singular honor for Ngai, who joins a select group of experienced, diverse attorneys who have been identified as leaders in their organizations,” said Stacie Yee, Pillsbury’s Executive Chair of Diversity & Inclusion. “And Charrise’s selection is evidence of her potential to impact progress, not only at Pillsbury, but also in the wider legal profession. We are proud to have them represent the firm as our industry strives for a more equitable, diverse culture.”
Zhang advises clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies on intellectual property, internet and technology law, developing creative strategies for overcoming patent ineligibility challenges. He is a board member for the Asian Pacific American Bar Association for the Greater Washington, DC area and has been recognized in Chambers USA.
Alexander’s practice focuses on insurance recovery and advisory matters, including representing corporate policyholders in complex insurance disputes. She has done significant work for pro bono clients and provides leadership to the firm through her roles as Co-Leader of the Pillsbury Pride employee resource group and as the associate representative on the firm’s board committee for the advancement of diverse attorneys.
Founded in 2009, LCLD is a growing organization of more than 300 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners who are personally committed to creating a truly diverse legal profession. The LCLD Pathfinder Program is now in its fourth year as a full-scale program, having been piloted in 2015 among a select number of LCLD Member law firms and corporations. It is an initiative that has filled a gap in LCLD programming, targeting junior associates and the youngest members of corporate law departments. For information, visit www.lcldnet.org.