Holland & Hart announced Wednesday that Phyllis Wan has joined the firm in Denver as chief diversity and inclusion officer. Wan previously served as chief diversity officer at Hogan Lovells.
“At Holland & Hart, diversity and inclusion are core values and critical to our business success. We believe our diversity enhances our ability to serve clients more effectively and with greater creativity and innovation,” said managing partner Lucy Stark. “We are thrilled to welcome Phyllis to build upon the firm’s existing diversity initiatives and enhance our inclusive culture with fresh ideas that allow all our people to achieve their full career potential.”
As CDIO, Wan will design and drive strategic diversity initiatives that help the firm attract, support and promote its. She will lead efforts to implement and enhance the firm’s diversity and inclusion plan and explore new programs and opportunities that improve the experience of the firm’s female and diverse attorneys and staff, the firm said in a press release.
Wan most recently served as interim executive director of the Center for Legal Inclusiveness. Prior to joining CLI, Wan was vice president of lawprogramming and chief broadcast attorney for Charter Communications. She was a partner for 17 years in the technology, media and telecommunications group at Hogan Lovells, where she also served as deputy, and then chief diversity officer for eight years.
Wan received a law degree from New York University School of Law and began her legal career practicing at an international firm in New York City.
“It is unique to have a CDIO with the experience of practicing law both within a large corporation and at a major law firm,” said firm chair Chris Balch. “As a diverse attorney and former partner at an Am Law 100 firm, Phyllis has an extraordinary depth of knowledge and understanding of the challenges diverse attorneys face, as well as clients’ expectations for outside counsel teams. I am excited about where the firm is headed with Phyllis as the leader of our diversity initiatives.
She will hold us accountable to ensure diversity and inclusion remains deeply rooted in the firm’s culture, processes, and initiatives.”
“The legal industry is one of the least diverse, yet most impactful professions in our community,” Wan said. “After 27 years of a fulfilling practice, I decided to devote my skills and experiences full time to diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives, guiding diverse and other lawyers the way so many others had counseled me during my career. Holland & Hart is a leader in diversity and inclusion. I’m excited to collaborate with people across the firm to continue addressing the challenges we face as an industry and as a firm while also cultivating the opportunities that lie before us.”
CLI Names CEO
The Center for Legal Inclusiveness has named attorney Sara Scott as its new CEO. Scott has been a practicing attorney for more than 15 years.
Before attending law school, Scott was one of the first students to earn a bachelor’s degree in comparative studies in race and ethnicity from Stanford University.
Her career highlights include time at the Washington, D.C., Children’s Law Center as well as private practice focusing on family law and same-sex family cases.
Scott is also a founding board member of Legal Entrepreneurs for Justice, an organization for socially conscious lawyers providing legal solutions. Scott was also recently appointed as Commissioner to the Uniform Law Commission by state Senate President Leroy Garcia.
“We (CLI’s Executive Committee) were deeply impressed by Sara’s passion for the work we do. Her commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and her profound belief in the education and capacity building values that make this organization and this community so unique and so impactful” said board chair Ryann Peyton.
“With Sara at the helm, I believe CLI will be well positioned to meet the challenges we’ll face over the years to come and, most importantly of all, to meet the needs of you, our community, without whom nothing that we do would be possible.”
Scott replaces interim executive director, Phyllis Wan, who joined CLI in late September 2019.
“Phyllis is leaving CLI in a much better place than when she arrived. Our February gala was a tremendous success, we have a new membership model in place, and our members have a renewed sense of value and purpose in our work. It has been a pleasure to work with Phyllis in this capacity.”
LATERAL WATCH
Holland & Hart announced April 24 Lauren Schoeffler joined the firm in Denver.
Schoeffler provides legal counsel to clients with a focus on emerging growth companies and venture capital funds in the food, beverage, and consumer products space. She advises companies throughout their corporate life cycle, including on matters of formation, corporate governance and strategy among others. Lauren also works with venture capital and growth equity funds on equity financings, strategic transactions, and mergers and acquisitions.
Before joining Holland & Hart, Lauren practiced at AmLaw 100 firms in Denver and Boston.
She received a law degree from the Boston University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Rice University. Laura is admitted to practice in Massachusetts. Her practice in Colorado is temporarily authorized pending admission under C.R.C.P. 205.6.
PARTNER PROMOTION
Merchant & Gould announced Thursday the promotion of Gregory Johnson to partner. His promotion was effective Feb. 1.
Johnson’s practice focuses on patent prosecution. He has been working with companies in the electrical and software industries for more than 13 years and has handled matters in authentication, computer memory, database management systems and encryption among others.
Prior to his career as a patent attorney, Johnson worked as a software developer.
GOOD FOR YOU
Moye White announced Thursday that partner Eric Snyder has been elected to the real estate section executive council of the Colorado Bar Association effective July 1.
Snyder, who serves as co-chair of the firm’s real estate section, will serve a three-year term.
JUDICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
The 2nd Judicial District Nominating Commission has nominated three candidates for a district court judgeship created by the resignation of Judge Elizabeth Starrs, which will occur July 1.
Nominees Jill Dorancy and Adam Espinosa, both of Denver; and David Karpel of Englewood were selected by the commission during a videoconference meeting on April 29.
According to the Colorado Constitution, the governor has 15 days from April 30 to appoint one of the nominees as 2nd Judicial District judge.
Comments regarding any of the nominees may be sent via e-mail to the governor at [email protected].