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Diversity discussion: LGBTq Inclusion and Awareness Firmwide ‘Be an Ally’ Sessions Launch With Help from PFLAG More than 400 Barnes & Thornburg personnel gathered firmwide via videoconference in June to hear from Jean-Marie Navetta of PFLAG, which was formerly known as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Steve Thornton of the Indianapolis office and Beth Davis of the Atlanta office co-chair the firm’s LGBTQ and ally employee resource group. Membership is open to all employees of Barnes & Thornburg. “It is anticipated that this group will help to provide a clear line of communication with management in working to ensure that policies and practices relating to LGBTQ people at the firm have their intended effect,” Steve said. “In addition to providing input on workplace policies and practices, this group is intended to provide a sense of safety and acceptance within the workplace by maintaining a visible presence and establishing that LGBTQ people are respected and valued. Through this affinity group, the firm will provide additional training and educational opportunities that will help establish and maintain a supportive environment for everyone.”
“Women, minority and LGBTQ affinity resource groups are important in showing that the organization supports a positive environment in which its diverse employees feel comfortable and valued,” Steve said. “It is well-established that a diverse and inclusive workplace enhances productivity and creativity, which benefits both the individuals and the organization. It is a clear ‘win-win’ result.”
Steve Thornton
Broquard Attends Premier Lambda Legal Event
Jean-Marie Navetta of PFLAG
Beth and Steve set about meeting one of the group’s first goals and organized a training session on how to be an LGBTQ ally in the workplace. Jean-Marie led the session live from the Indianapolis office. “Feedback from the PFLAG training was very positive,” Steve said. “The participation levels and feedback show that the individuals at Barnes & Thornburg recognize the value of diversity and are willing to make the effort to become more educated and actively supportive.” PFLAG is the United States’ largest organization for parents, families, friends, and allies united with people who are LGBTQ. It was founded in 1972 and works to create a world where
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difference is celebrated, and all people are valued inclusive of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
Wesley Broquard of the Chicago office attended Lambda Legal’s premier Chicago event “Bon Foster,” which honors the memory of Robert Bonvoulior “Bon” Foster. Foster was a civil rights activist and attorney who was an outspoken opponent of injustice and challenged others to demand the best for themselves – and never settled for any less from himself. In 1993, a generous bequest from Bon Foster’s estate established Lambda Legal’s Chicago-based Midwest Regional Office, beginning a legacy of civil rights victories won by Lambda Legal in the heartland. “At this year’s event, we celebrated the progress made for LGBTQ people in the past year, but also took note that the work is not over,” Wes said. “Fair and gracious treatment of LGBTQ people is still under threat in many places. Lambda fights for those caught in the cross hairs or who can’t easily afford access to the courts. I am proud that Barnes & Thornburg stands with Lambda to help LGBTQ people live life to the fullest.”
Wesley Broquard
Wes began his involvement with Lambda Legal when he was a summer associate, attending the organization’s annual dinner on behalf of the firm. “The firm’s support of Lambda helped me to decide to accept the firm’s offer to return the next year as a full-time associate,” Wes said. “Over the years, the firm has supported this annual event and I have attended almost every year, making friends and contacts in the community along the way. In addition, the firm’s annual generous support has provided tangible evidence of our commitment to diversity when hiring and retaining top legal talent.”
D I V E R SDIITVYE R &SIIN C L& U SI N I OCNL :ULGBTQ Awareness TY S I O N Ne wsle t ter Perspectives Column: Transparenting By Krisztina and Ken Inskeep Editor’s note: Ken Inskeep, a partner in the Indianapolis office, and his wife, Krisztina, invest their time and resources advocating for and supporting the LGBTQ community. As they have learned from their own family’s experience (one of their five children is transgender), members of this community face obstacles that most people don’t think about. By sharing their experience, the Inskeeps hope Krisztina and Ken Inskeep to increase understanding and allay the fear and discomfort that some people experience when faced with issues involving gender identity and sexual orientation. From being active members in Freedom Indiana, a group seeking to update Indiana’s civil rights law to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity to co-founding a support group for families of transgender kids aged 12 and under, Ken and Krisztina seek to be effective allies for the LGBTQ community in Central Indiana. Ken also has worked with Barnes & Thornburg management to provide gender neutral bathrooms and to remove unnecessary gender-based questions and pronouns in firm forms, policies and documents. Krisztina was recently presented with the “Beacon of Light” volunteer award by the Indiana Youth Group, which provides education and safe spaces for LGBTQ youth from 12 to 20 years old. Ken and Krisztina co-wrote this column to give you a glimpse into their life and their family’s journey. (Note: Our son does not want his real name used in public. We call him Will in this article per his request.)
As our kids were growing up, we paid little attention to the LGBTQ community, we’re sorry to say. We knew a few gay people, and were even reasonably good friends with some, but our lives didn’t intersect much. We were unaware of the daily slights, indignities, challenges, discrimination, bullying, violence and hate crimes suffered by gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender friends and neighbors. As our fourth child grew, however, we were drawn into a whole ‘nother world. You see, when he was in high school, he realized he was transgender.
When Will was born, we were told he was a girl, based on physical appearance. He was bright, quiet, active and curious. He loved to climb trees and doorjambs, play outside, rollerblade, unicycle, bicycle, run and jump. Although at that point we thought he was a girl, he shopped in the boys department for clothes and cut his hair short. Why not? It suited Will’s active life. He played basketball and even football in middle school. He did well in school. What we didn’t know then, but became increasingly aware of, was that Will was also wrestling mightily with an internal struggle he could not yet articulate. This manifested in several years of mysterious ailments, illnesses, injuries, anxiety, panic attacks, depression and suicidal ideation. We tried helping him every way we knew and consulted doctors, specialists, therapists and alternative health practitioners. Nada. It wasn’t until he realized he was transgender at age 17 that he finally began to get relief. When Will told us that he was actually a boy, not a girl, we knew nothing about what it meant to be transgender. We had heard of some early transgender pioneers, had heard that Sonny and Cher’s daughter was now their son Chaz, but we had absolutely NO understanding of what any of it meant.
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We came to understand that one’s gender identity and one’s biological sex or sex assigned at birth do not always match.
While we cannot claim to be experts on it now, we have learned a lot these last few years. We came to understand that one’s gender identity and one’s biological sex or sex assigned at birth do not always match. We had no idea. Ours match. We thought everyone’s did. The first thing we did was to reassure Will that we loved him for whomever he was – no conditions attached. Her, him, them…it did not matter. We discovered that many parents have difficulty giving this basic reassurance to their LGBTQ children – a fact that puts them at high risk for suicide. For us, affirming and accepting him was a given. (Continued on page 10)
Rainbow 5K Boasts 500 Participants With Thomas’ Help
Our family life was very typical at the start – to the extent any of us are “typical.” When we brought our first new baby home from the hospital, it was with equal parts excitement and terror. The folks at the hospital were very nice, caring and competent, but we were sure they had forgotten to give us the user manual.
As co-chair of this year’s Rainbow 5K Run/Walk, Don Thomas of the Indianapolis office was an integral part to the success of this annual fundraiser. The run kicks off Indy Pride’s yearly Circle City IN Pride Festival, which expanded to a week-long schedule of events celebrating every aspect of the LGBTQ community. Don is a former member of the Indy Pride, Inc., board of directors and has co-chaired the Rainbow 5K Run/Walk three times.
We ended up relying mostly on common sense, our commitment to our children and each other, and lots of steadfast love to get us through. We read some, learned from our children’s teachers and other parents we met, and added to our toolbox of techniques along the way. Then along came baby number four.
The Rainbow 5K Run/Walk rang in another successful year with nearly 500 participants and raising more than $20,000. Proceeds from the Rainbow 5K Run/Walk support the Indy Pride Resource Center Fund and also provide HIV education through the Indiana AIDS Fund, a program of the Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis. (Continued on page 4)
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AU G U S T 2 016 A L L I N Rainbow 5K Boasts 500 Participants With Thomas’ Help, continued
“As an all-volunteer organization, we put in a lot of hours to host programs and community events that achieve inclusivity, equality, strong community connections and awareness of LGBTQ issues,” Don said.
Attorneys Win Asylum for Transgender Woman Alexandra Kelly, Rachel Lerman and Kendra Lounsberry of the Los Angeles office recently helped a client win asylum in the state of California.The client, who was born with male characteristics but identifies as a woman, had been physically attacked because of her femininity, including by her family members, since she was a child and once in public by a police officer in her Honduran hometown. Because of the attacks and daily threats, she left Honduras and traveled through Mexico to arrive in the United States.
The Rainbow 5K Run/Walk benefits the community by engaging and promoting personal wellness and healthy lifestyles in the LGBTQ community while raising money for important causes.
“Our client was arrested in July 2015 for illegal entry, a few days after she arrived,” Alex said. “She was detained in Texas and then transferred to the transgender section of Santa Ana Jail, which is where I met with her about once a week as we prepared for her merits hearing.”
Don is a staff attorney who focuses his practice on product liability litigation. He has been with the firm’s Indianapolis office since 2012.
To take on this pro bono matter, firm attorneys had a learning curve to contend with. “Learning how to file papers in immigration court, learning a new area of law, deciding which parts of her story to include in her declaration, and tracking down government ID documents and other supporting evidence in Honduras were just a few of the challenges we faced,” Alex said. A significant part of the merits brief addressed articles and reports about violent conditions for LGBTQ people in Honduras, and Kendra was instrumental in identifying those. The case was referred to Barnes & Thornburg through Public Counsel, which is the public interest law firm of the Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Associations and is the Southern California affiliate of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “I felt rewarded that I could help someone achieve their dream of escaping violent persecution for good,” Alex noted. “I became a better lawyer because of this case. I became better at understanding a client’s needs, and I learned to manage a case from start to finish, and also to work as a team with Rachel and Kendra to refine our strategy. Once the client obtains the documentation that will secure her path to a Green Card, and eventually, citizenship, we will close the case.”
Alexandra Kelly
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Rachel Lerman
Kendra Lounsberry
“Community involvement has always been important to me,” Don said. “It has allowed me to connect with many individuals and help raise awareness for issues pertaining to the LGBTQ community. Most importantly, it has allowed me to help raise funds to support needed resources within the community.”
Burkhardt Helps Shape Boy Scouts of America Policy for Future Generations As a former Boy Scout and adult leader, Craig Burkhardt lobbied internally to change a membership policy of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), motivated in part by learning that one of his mentors had been asked to leave Boy Scouts because of his reported sexual orientation. The BSA is now welcoming openly gay and lesbian members of all ages.
Craig Burkhardt
Shortly after starting his legal career 30 years ago, Craig became an active adult leader with the Boy Scouts. As a youth, he participated in all of the BSA’s programs and earned the Eagle Scout rank. He even served as one of the national youth officers, where he met then-Boy Scout advisor Bob Reynolds of the firm’s Indianapolis office. It was this connection with Bob that brought Craig to Barnes & Thornburg’s Chicago office many years later as he was departing a White House appointment. Craig has served in many BSA leadership roles, including stints on local and national BSA programming boards, fundraising committees, and on executive boards. He is currently president of the BSA local council that serves the Chicago and northwest Indiana metropolitan area. Like most mainline nonprofit organizations, BSA membership policies through most of the 20th century reflected now-outdated beliefs, which had the effect of discriminating against the LGBTQ community. Then there was a shift. “By the time I served on BSA camp staff in the ‘70s and ‘80s, things had changed,” Craig said. “It was understood that some staffers were gay – some openly so. My personal experience was that this was not an issue with the kids and adult volunteers involved. The BSA often mirrors personnel
D I V E R SDIITVYE R &SIIN C L& U SI N I OCNL :ULGBTQ Awareness TY S I O N Ne wsle t ter approaches of the military, and during most of the ‘90s the Clinton-developed ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ approach seemed to be followed.” But Craig’s experience with BSA membership policies took a negative – and personal – turn in the ‘90s due to a formal change of relevant national policies.
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...Scouting is again welcomed in our public schools and at other organizations, which had closed their doors to us due to the previous policy.
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“I had begun my law practice and had re-engaged with the BSA as an adult when I learned to my horror that one of my BSA adult mentors had been asked to leave simply because he had been reported to be gay,” Craig said. “Not long after, the national membership policy was amended to expressly exclude gay or lesbian youth and adults. That move was a catastrophic mistake, which diverted the BSA from its core missions for 20 years.” Craig was determined to rise within scouting’s national organization and position himself to help approve a non-discriminatory policy. After helping internally lobby a new policy, Craig, along with other Barnes & Thornburg BSA volunteers, was present at the historic vote in 2014 when the ban on gay youth was ended; the ban effecting adults was ended in 2015. “Fifteen hundred middle-class businesspeople from across the county sat in a room and decided to do the right thing,” Craig said. “The margin was overwhelming. In our local council, scouting is again welcomed in our public schools and at other organizations, which had closed their doors to us due to the previous policy. Our volunteers were welcomed to conduct recruiting activities in 700 schools last fall – up from 170 the previous year. We had a significant increase in the number of youth members as a result. Previously excluded members have rejoined and corporate America is once again getting comfortable providing financial support to scouting.” The new policy has been easy to implement and has resulted in very little membership loss for scouting. The council serving Chicagoland and northwest Indiana has seen positive results. “People of good will can make changes to policies that reflect sound ethics as well as good business judgement,” Craig said. “From the outside, it appeared that BSA was forced to make the change, but the truth is that the decision was entirely voluntary and made after its nationwide leadership structure focused on what course would best serve our youth members. The BSA did the right thing and the organization and it members have seen tangible benefits.”
A Conversation With Laura Luisi Laura Luisi is an associate in the Chicago office, where she is a member of the Litigation and Labor and Employment departments. Laura assists clients in a variety of commercial litigation matters, including contract disputes, unfair competition and construction litigation. She also assists clients with internal and government investigations in the white collar and labor and employment contexts. Q: Why did you become an attorney? A: Prior to entering the legal profession, I received
my undergraduate degree in the field of architecture. Architecture is very analytical in nature and required me to constantly challenge the decisions I made. It required a very thoughtful process of questioning every aspect of a project and coming up with creative solutions. I learned that the analytical and critical thinking aspects were truly my favorite part of the profession, as opposed to the design process. I always had an interest in the law, and realized that those same principles from architecture are equally applicable and necessary in the practice of law. Q: What community/legal organizations are you involved in? How does that help shape your practice? A: Through a client of the firm, I have had the opportunity to get involved with the Victory Fund, which is dedicated to assisting LGBTQ candidates in being elected to state and federal positions. The Victory Fund and its members have also led me to get involved with the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. Q: Why is it important to you to work for an organization that values diversity and inclusion?
experiences and cultural backgrounds naturally lead to more meaningful discussion and require people to challenge the way that they think. I’ve worked in both homogenous environments and extremely diverse environments, and the difference is remarkable. Diverse work environments tend to create a more open-minded culture, which leads to more thoughtful work and more creative solutions to problems. It is important for me to work for an organization that values diversity because I truly believe that a diverse work environment makes me (and everyone else) better. It challenges people; it forces people to think in a way they might not otherwise have; and it forces people to be aware of certain issues that would otherwise not affect them. With that said, creating a diverse and inclusive environment is challenging – there is no doubt about that. Every law firm, or business, for that matter, can improve its diversity and inclusion efforts – there is no right way to do it and there is always room for improvement. It is a constantly evolving concept. The key is for a firm to be receptive to diversity efforts and allowing members within the organization to assist in improving the work environment and the attitudes of its members.
A: The benefits of having a diverse work
environment are endless – different life
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AU G U S T 2 016 A L L I N The Top Women Lawyers list, produced annually as a supplement to the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal, highlights leading female attorneys from across the state. The attorneys selected for inclusion practice across a gamut of industries and practice areas.
Vital Named to Who’s Who in Black Dallas Victor Vital of the Dallas office was selected for inclusion in the third edition of Who’s Who in Black Dallas. The book was unveiled at an event held at the Perot Museum in Dallas in May.
Minneapolis Office Hosts ‘Women in Leadership: Exploring Pathways’ More than 150 women in business and legal sectors attended Barnes & Thornburg’s 5th annual “Women in Leadership: Exploring Pathways” event hosted by the Minneapolis office in April at the Nicolet Island Pavilion. The host attorneys were: Felicia Boyd, Connie Lahn, Sarah Rowley, Mary Sennes, Tina Syring and Trisha Volpe. Attorneys attending from other offices were Rebekah Prince of the Los Angeles office, Erika Powers of the Chicago office, Kara Cleary of the Atlanta office, and Carrie Raver and Dawn Rosemond of the Fort Wayne office.
Attorneys Scavenge Town to Benefit Starfish Initiative
Helminski Facilitates Ladies Environmental Tea In March, Tammy Helminski of the Grand Rapids office facilitated a West Michigan Ladies Environmental Tea that was a joint event with the Kalamazoo Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction. The tea was hosted by Great Lakes Environmental & Infrastructure Solutions in Kalamazoo and featured a technical presentation about the 2013 dredging of Morrow Lake it conducted following the Enbridge 2010 oil spill. More than 30 women in the construction and environmental industries attended the event.
The Indianapolis office of Barnes & Thornburg sponsored a team to compete in the 2016 Starfish Initiative Incredible Journey Corporate Scavenger Hunt that took place on Butler University’s campus in April. Starfish Initiative’s mission is to inspire, encourage, and prepare promising, economically disadvantaged students for college and career success. To help ensure these students reach their full potential, Starfish pairs them one-on-one with collegeeducated, volunteer mentors. While the Barnes & Thornburg team was extremely competitive during the scavenger hunt, Dow AgroSciences went home with the first place prize of a $750 scholarship for each of its Starfish mentees. The event ended with a brief keynote address by former Colts player, Marlin Jackson.
Spring Minnesota Women Lawyers Conference Features Volpe Lawyers and judges from across Minnesota gathered for the 2016 Minnesota Women Lawyers Conference in April, and playing a key role was Trisha Volpe of the Minneapolis office. Trisha moderated a panel discussion entitled “Leading the Way: A Conversation with the Women Justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court.” The panel focused on how these judicial leaders are making an impact and changing the world from their legal bench in Minnesota.
Hunt Named to Daily Journal’s Top Women Lawyers List Carolyn Hunt of the Los Angeles office was named to the Daily Journal’s Top Women Lawyers list. Carolyn was recognized for being one of only a few females leading a film finance practice at a major law firm. She offers clients big picture thinking and years of experience from representing financiers, producers, distributors and sales agents in the financing for hundreds of film, television and gaming projects, and her clients look to her as an advisor for helping solve problems that come along with structuring the oftentimes puzzling deals that make up the film and TV industry.
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Barnes & Thornburg team (from left to right): Kerriesha (Starfish mentor), Adey Adenrele, Mikayla (Starfish mentee), Ann Grayson, Romy Tucker, Cameron Freeman (Angela’s son), Angela Freeman, Kearra (a Starfish mentee), Rubin Pusha and Chris Tucker.
D I V E R S I T Y & I N C L U S I O N Ne wsle t ter Thompson Elected as Women Lawyers of Franklin County President Katrina Thompson of the Columbus office is the newly elected president of Women Lawyers of Franklin County. She was sworn in by Judge Colleen O’Donnell of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court. Also in conjunction with the Women Lawyers of Franklin County, Katrina hosted an event at the firm’s offices on April 21 Katrina Thompson during which attendees discussed the book “The Beauty Bias: The Injustice of Appearance in Life and Law” by Deborah Rhode. The book explores cultural preoccupation with attractiveness, the costs it imposes, and the responses it demands. The women shared their views on this often polarizing topic through a thoughtful and engaging discussion. Everyone had a great time and we received many compliments on our office space.
Attorneys Attend, Firm Sponsors Women’s Fund Equal Pay Day For the second year, the firm sponsored the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio’s Equal Pay Day event held at the Columbus Museum of Art. Kelly Atkinson and Bill Nolan of the Columbus office represented the firm at the event, and Bill introduced the panel presentation. Laing Akers and David Paragas of the Columbus office are among others involved with the fund.
Rosemond Authors ‘Boss Presence’ She wrote the book on it. Dawn Rosemond of the Fort Wayne office has written a book entitled “Boss Presence: 100, Ok 50, Ok Some Tips for We Bad Chicks to REIGN at Work.” The book debuted in the Top 40 in its category and as No. 1 on the Hot New Releases list in the 30-Minute Business & Money Kindle Short Reads section. On April 23, Dawn hosted a REIGNclass™ entitled “Boss Presence” at the 2016 Makeover Conference, an annual women’s leadership event in Fort Wayne. This year’s event was sponsored by firm client Parkview Health. The presentation focused on many principles in the book, including personal branding, leadership and professional development. Dawn also presented a CLE, along with Angel Shelton Willis, Vice President and General Counsel, EMEIA and Deputy General Counsel, M&A for Ingersoll Rand, entitled “Diversity and Inclusion: Driving Innovative Legal Services and Boosting Dawn Rosemond at a book signing. the Bottom Line” for the Indianapolis Bar
Association on May 26 in Indianapolis. Billed as a “real conversation on diversity between diverse outside counsel and their client,” the CLE was an in-depth and frank discussion regarding the key role diversity has played (and continues to play) in client relationships.
Attorneys Recognized as ‘Up and Coming Lawyers’ by Indiana Lawyer Two Barnes & Thornburg attorneys are among only 15 lawyers in the state recognized as “Up and Coming” by the Indiana Lawyer’s annual Leadership in Law awards. Jennifer Tudor Wright of the Indianapolis office and Adam Bartrom of the Fort Wayne office were included on the 2016 list for their commitment to the law, their peers and the legal community. Jennifer is an associate and a member of the firm’s Litigation Department and the Drug and Medical Device, eDiscovery, Data and Document Management, and Commercial Litigation practice groups. She has experience in a wide variety of commercial litigation, including products liability, medical device litigation, employment and contract disputes, school law, antitrust actions, creditor’s rights, premises liability and copyright and trademark infringement.
Jennifer Tudor Wright
Adam Bartrom
Adam is a partner and is a member of the firm’s Labor and Employment Law Department. He collaborates with businesses to handle disputes and to create preventive strategies. He dedicates his practice to representing management interests on the employment and traditional labor fronts. The Indiana Lawyer established the Leadership in Law awards in 2006 as a way to honor outstanding lawyers who have shown a commitment to their peers, clients and the Indiana legal community.
Former Partner Heads In-House Former Indianapolis partner Jimmie McMillian was featured in an article, “Jimmie Goes to Indy: Barnes & Thornburg Partner Heads In-House,” published by the American Lawyer. Jimmie joined the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as senior corporate counsel in May. Jimmie, a racing fan and motorcycle enthusiast, credits Barnes & Thornburg with helping him land his “dream job.” “There are a lot of firms that have very proud and happy alumni because the firm created a pathway to achieve their ultimate goal,” he told the American Lawyer.
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AU G U S T 2 016 A L L I N Women’s Fund of Central Ohio’s Annual Event Focuses on ‘Going Off Script’ Lahn Receives Women in Business Award The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal named Connie Lahn, managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg’s Minneapolis office, as a recipient of the 2016 Women in Business award. Each year, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal recognizes women for their professional achievements, leadership and contribution to the community. This year, 51 women from around the Twin Cities were honored. Connie is the first woman to serve as office managing partner in Minneapolis. A bankruptcy and restructuring attorney, she is a member of the Finance, Insolvency and Restructuring Department and serves as co-chair of the Asset Revitalization Practice Group. She also has experience in the aviation industry and is co-chair of the firm’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Practice Group, which she founded. Connie is a member of Barnes & Thornburg’s management committee and its Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Pictured: Tom Mielenhausen, Connie Lahn (middle) and Janelle Katzner of Upshire Smith; Connie accepting her award.
Laing Akers, Kelly Atkinson, Holly Heer and Bill Nolan of the Columbus office attended the annual Keyholder Event of the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, one of the office’s active community partnerships, along with clients and friends of the office. The event, themed “Going Off Script,” featured actress Vanessa Williams, whose strength and endurance over the years to become a multifaceted performer and actor encouraged attendees to script their own lives.
Charlton Presents at Girls4Science
Pictured with Laing Akers (left), Vanessa Williams and Sarah Malone of Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing (right).
In May, Genevieve Charlton of the Chicago office presented on trademark/copyright law and careers in intellectual property to a group of middle- and high-school age students who are part of Girls4Science. Girls4Science is a non-profit organization that addresses the lack of accessible quality science programs for female youth in the Chicagoland area. “I got involved with Girls4Science through the Chicago Intellectual Property Alliance (CIPA),” Genevieve said. “CIPA is an organization that educates the non-legal community on intellectual property. CIPA members attend the Girls4Science final presentation day at programs throughout the Chicago area.” Genevieve and other volunteers spoke with the girls as they finished their projects, watched the final presentations, asked questions about their research, and then gave a presentation about intellectual property and careers in the field. “It was great to see groups of young girls come together to work toward a common goal,” Genevieve said. “The organization fosters an environment for girls to develop leadership and confidence, while being challenged academically. It is also important to let the young girls know that there are so many opportunities for women, even those interested in science, in the legal profession. They were all very inspired by all the opportunities and career paths in IP, even outside of the legal community, such as marketing, the entertainment industry, fashion design, etc.”
Studebaker, Aurs Attend Women in Law Mixer Christina Studebaker of ThemeVision and the Indianapolis office and Brooke Aurs of the Indianapolis office attended the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana’s Women in Law Division Mixer that was held in Indianapolis in June. ThemeVision, the firm’s trial consulting, graphic design and opinion research affiliate, was an event sponsor.
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D I V E R S I T Y & I N C L U S I O N Ne wsle t ter Chicago Office Hosts Chicago Women in IP One-Year Anniversary Celebration In June, Liz Peters, Alice Martin and Genevieve Charlton of the Chicago office hosted a celebration event for Chicago Women in IP’s (ChiWIP) one year anniversary. ChiWIP was formed to bring together the women of Chicago’s IP community and to advance all women involved in the field. Barnes & Thornburg and the IP Department hosted approximately 80 women from the Chicagoland area for a cocktail reception in the Chicago office, which included a sangria bar and toasting to the success of ChiWIP.
Wine, Women and Shoes Event Benefits Gleaners Food Bank Hillary Close, Julia Gard and Cheryl Gonzalez of the Indianapolis office attended the Wine, Women and Shoes event benefitting Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana in May in Indianapolis. Gleaners’ mission is to lead the fight against hunger in central and southeast Indiana by collecting, storing, and distributing food to those in need. Gleaners distributes food to hungry Hoosiers through a network of over 250 partner agencies, including emergency food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.
Chicago Office Hosts Inaugural Chicago Career Conference In conjunction with PracticePro and the Chicago Committee, Barnes & Thornburg’s Minority Lawyer Network organized and hosted the inaugural Chicago Career Conference for summer associates in the firm’s office in June. Despite demographics that show greater diversity in law schools across the country, students from minority groups still face unique challenges once they join the profession. The inaugural career conference focused on equipping law students and summer associates with the soft skills needed to advance in large law firms.
Lindsey Dates (right) with another panelist.
Lindsey Dates of the Chicago office and co-chair of the firm’s Minority Lawyer Network helped organize the all-day event and also served as a panelist. “Our panel focused on providing summer associates with tips to make sure they are succeeding during their summer as an associate,” Lindsey said. “We covered everything from how to act during networking opportunities to legal writing. Once the day concluded, summer associates were able to apply what they learned at the evening cocktail reception. The reception provided an opportunity for conference attendees and legal professionals in the Chicago community to celebrate diversity and network with peers.” PracticePro is “a national company bridging the gap between law school and law practice by teaching everyday legal, managerial, and administrative skills to current and aspiring attorneys.” The Chicago Committee also seeks racial and ethnic diversity in the legal profession by collaborating with its law firm and corporate membership.
Attorney Named Chair of American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Chicago Chapter
From left to right: Cheryl Gonzalez (Barnes & Thornburg), Hillary Close (Barnes & Thornburg), Erin Roth (Wabash National), Julia Gard (Barnes & Thornburg), Kristin Glazner (Wabash National), Carli Stewart (Wabash National) and Tina Clark (Wabash National).
M. Mercedes Badia-Tavas of the Chicago office was recently elected as chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s (AILA) Chicago Chapter for 2016-2017. AILA is a national bar association that promotes justice, advocates for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advances the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhances the professional development of its members. The AILA Chicago Chapter has more than 600 members, whose work and dedication have won the AILA Platinum Chapter Excellence Award for 2015-2016, the highest level possible.
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AU G U S T 2 016 A L L I N Perspectives Column: Transparenting Continued from page 3 Our children are our children. They rely on us for physical and emotional support and we signed up to provide it when we decided to have kids. It was confusing and there was some grieving. In some ways, it felt like we lost our child, but we knew that was not the case. We simply got the name and gender wrong when Will was born, but he was still the same person. We told Will we would find our way through this transition together, with whatever challenges it entailed, and Will should be confident we would do all in our power to help him become a happy adult no matter how rough the journey. As a couple, we are lucky. Our relationship is a strong, committed, loving partnership of more than 33 years. We share similar values, hold postgraduate degrees and steady professional employment, enjoy financial security, have supportive friends and family, and have 31 years of experience parenting our five children. Still, our son’s transition year was one of the hardest we’d been through. It took every personal and parenting skill and insight we’d gained to date to keep going. Will he be safe? What will it mean physically? Will he need surgery? What resources are out there? Who can advise us? How will our family and friends respond? Where do we even begin? We often marveled how parents with fewer resources, limited income or education could raise any kids, let alone those facing the extra challenges that come with being transgender. Will’s senior year was a daily battle just to survive. It was difficult dealing with his independent religious high school, as we campaigned for our son’s rights and sought to hold the school true to its stated values of diversity and integrity. He just had one year left. He wanted to remain there with his friends and close teachers and mentors, mind his own business, do his work and graduate. The last thing he wanted was to be the center of attention. But the school refused to call him by his affirmed, legal name. They forbade the staff from using his new name or preferred pronouns in class, programs, announcements and rosters. This systemic bullying took its toll on our son’s self-esteem, confidence and peace of mind. It took its toll on our emotional equilibrium, too. Ken’s Barnes & Thornburg training and experience were instrumental in applying calm, firm, respectful pressure and the art of persuasion to school administrators and others. The upsides, though, were unexpected and numerous. Our son’s friends and classmates saw this injustice and rallied in support of him. They called him by his new name and seemed not to bat an eye that a classmate they previously knew as a girl was now a boy named “William.” They fist-bumped him in the hall and showed him they cared. People we never would have thought would be supportive sent us messages of acceptance, kindness and love. In short, it was the straight “allies” and their acknowledgement and acceptance of who Will truly was that kept him not just sane and functioning, but high performing as a straight-A student, band drum major, valued member of the theater department, French club president and winner of multiple academic awards.
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When a new bishop arrived later in the year, he studied the situation for months, and as graduation was looming finally agreed to let the school administration do what they thought best. In the end, Will’s class roster, awards, transcript and diploma were finally issued in his correct name: Will. At graduation, Will and the other guys wore the traditional blue gown, and he strode proudly across the stage when they called out his chosen, legal name. It was incredible to us that he had managed not only to navigate this difficult path, but to find ways to excel as he did so despite the personal toll. Will was well on his way, but graduation was just the beginning. Society is just now beginning to learn about transgender people. It is a very new concept for the great majority. Even open-minded people have a hard time with this concept. We did, until we experienced it with someone we loved so deeply.
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Even open-minded people have a hard time with this concept. We did, until we experienced it with someone we loved so deeply.
Transgender people face numerous health and insurance difficulties. It is hard to find doctors who know the standards of care for transgender and gender-expansive patients (especially those under age 18), let alone ones who are willing to care for them. Hormone protocols can be prohibitively expensive. Most surgeries and other treatments for affirming one’s gender are not covered by insurance. Even after Laverne Cox was featured on the cover of Time magazine and spoke clearly about being transgender and after several well-known trans people have been in the public eye in recent months, most everyday people have misconceptions about what it means to be trans in our society today. Currently, there is fear in some circles over bathroom use. In our view, this is a privacy, comfort and safety issue for trans folks, not for the rest of us. There are no reported incidents of trans men or women preying upon anyone in the many cities and 17 states across the U.S. that have Human Rights Ordinances (HROs) protecting LGBTQ rights to public accommodation. Early in his transition, our son went into the girl’s room at school and was met with surprised screams of “Get out of here!!!” Will spent his senior year just not going to the bathroom all day because there was nowhere he felt safe. He uses the men’s room today without incident. Why would anyone now want to make him go into the ladies’ room when everyone knows him as a man and he looks like one? It seems that would cause more confusion and distress for everyone. Transgender people are not perverts. They are people’s kids and parents and friends and relatives. Every time this issue comes up, it tears at our hearts because we know the deep scars it inflicts on people like our son. From the outset, we decided to be completely “transparent” with our friends and colleagues and family about Will. It has been tremendously gratifying to us how Barnes & Thornburg has responded to our sudden awareness of trans issues. When the issues were pointed out,
D I V E R S I T Y & I N C L U S I O N Ne wsle t ter the firm made single bathrooms gender neutral, amended the firm’s health plan and worked to eliminate unnecessary gender questions on forms. Our friends and colleagues provided immediate acceptance and support. It made an incredible difference to be able to be open and “out” about the important things happening in our lives not just with family and friends, but in the workplace where Ken spends so many hours every day. We cannot imagine how much more difficult our journey would have been if we lived in fear of discovery of a “family secret” that would threaten Ken’s job or our financial security. We have felt so lucky to be at a law firm that was not just accepting, but eager to help and accommodate and learn from our experience. In our family, Will is now just Will. We are just as proud and accepting of him as our other children, and we no longer stumble over his name or proper pronouns. We still have issues to navigate – and we still fear what will happen if he is ever pulled over and arrested, or if an angry, hate-filled person decides to go on a rampage to kill LGBTQ people. But since his transition, our son is a much happier, healthier person, blossoming as the adult male we have learned he really is.
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It has been tremendously We are eager to share our story and gratifying to us how Barnes & have become active participants in Thornburg has responded to our LGBTQ and ally organizations. We do sudden awareness of trans issues. so in the hope it will help others see we are all just people, deserving of love and respect, regardless of whether we were born into a body that matches our gender identity, no matter what our sexual orientation, and no matter how we want to present ourselves.
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Welcome to the following attorneys who are adding to our firm’s growth and diversity:
Joan Blackwell, Finance, Insolvency and Restructuring, Of Counsel, Indianapolis
Lee Hutton, Litigation, Partner, Minneapolis
Elizabeth Brandon, Litigation, Partner, Dallas
Monique Hannam, Litigation, Staff Attorney, South Bend
Ashley Parr, Environmental, Associate, Chicago
Julia Santullano, Corporate, Associate, Chicago
We strive to learn more, help debunk myths, share the facts and tell the story of our journey. While each of us has our own story, we can all do our part to help create an environment where each of us can just be who we are, without fear of ridicule, discrimination or bullying.
Event Round-Up Barnes & Thornburg has a strong commitment to supporting our attorneys and communities in diversity efforts. This is a sampling of the events and activities the firm supported during the second quarter of 2016. • Bourbon Women Association, Indianapolis • Hispanic Lawyer’s Scholarship Fund, Chicago • IU McKinney School of Law Women’s Caucus Auction, Indianapolis • Ohio Women’s Bar Foundation Leadership Institute, Columbus • Women Employed Working Luncheon, Chicago • YWCA Woman of Achievement Luncheon, Columbus
Evelina Shpolyansky, Labor and Employment, Associate, Los Angeles
Anthony Son, Litigation, Partner, Minneapolis
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AU G U S T 2 016 A L L I N Diversity & Inclusion Barnes & Thornburg is committed to building a more diverse workplace and promoting an environment of inclusion through various diversity initiatives. We strive to sustain a work environment in which each individual’s perspective, background, skills and abilities are valued. The Diversity & Inclusion Committee advises on diversity issues; provides career development for women and minorities; develops flexible work options; and serves as a liaison among personnel, recruiting and management to create an inclusive environment. Barnes & Thornburg is committed to supporting diversity throughout our communities.
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The Diversity & Inclusion Committee collaborates to improve diversity and increase growth opportunities for legal professionals and staff firmwide. Co-chairpersons: Bob Grand Kathleen Anderson MEMBERS AT LARGE: Leasa Anderson Edward Ayoob Steve Badger Alicia Raines Barrs Kara Cleary Lindsey Dates Elizabeth Davis Michael DeLargy Angela Freeman
Jeanine Gozdecki Steve Hernandez Jeffrey Hopper Ken Inskeep Karoline Jackson Nick Kile Mark Kittaka Sarah Kuhny Naomi Kwang Connie Lahn Denise Lazar Rachel Lerman Alan Levin Laura Luisi
Melanie Mawema Paul Olszowka William Padgett David Paragas Tony Prather James Robinson Laurie Rompala Alice Springer Lisa Starks Jennifer Stocker Katrina Thompson Steve Thornton Christopher Tucker Heather Willey