2021
Partner
ASIAN
LEADERS Worth Watching
TM
INTERNATIONAL
AWARD
Harsh Arora
Education: LLM, taxation, Boston University School of Law; JD, Florida A&M University College of Law; Certificate, Program on Negotiations, Executive Education, Harvard Law School; BS, University of Central Florida Rosen College of Hospitality Management; and DP, International Management Institute, Switzerland Company Name: Kelley Kronenberg Industry: Law Company CEO: Michael J. Fichtel Company Headquarters Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida Number of Employees: 400 Your Location (if different from above): Fort Lauderdale, Florida Words you live by: “Speak only if it improves upon the silence.” – Mahatma Gandhi Who is your personal hero? My father What book are you reading? The Art of War by Sun Tzu, translated by Thomas Cleary What was your first job: Resort Management Trainee in South Asia Favorite charity: American Red Cross Interests: Golf, Ttravel, art, and theater Family: My wife and our three young children; we have a son and two daughters
We Must Lend a Hand to the Next Generation of Diverse Lawyers I am most driven by solving problems for businesses, and my diverse background has made me as an innovative problem solver. To me, finding solutions is the essence of a good business lawyer. This is why, as outside general counsel for my clients, I focus on being a business strategist and bring my diverse perspective to the forefront. As a co-chair of my firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, I lead firm-wide efforts to aid the recruitment, retention, and advancement of diverse attorneys and support staff, including providing increased visibility and leadership opportunities for diverse legal professionals. This year has shown us that systemic change and racial equity in the law have never been more important. We can also say
26
2021 Second Quarter
that diversity is truly the face of America, including in its top leadership. We need to seize upon this momentum to achieve eq uity in the legal profession, to ensure that diverse lawyers have more leadership roles and opportunities to solve the most complex issues. Today, diverse lawyers like me have a seat at the table because diverse lawyers who came before us pulled up chairs and insisted on having seats. We owe our positions to them. Therefore, it is imperative to follow their example and lend a hand to the next generation of diverse lawyers. Diversity and Inclusion issues have become a matter of reputation and brand for businesses at all levels. As a problem solver, I continue to drive learning and leadership training regarding
key diversity and inclusion topics for my clients, the community at large, and within my firm. These efforts continue to support workplace cohesion, legal compliance, market brand, business opportunities, and the ability to hire top talent from different backgrounds. On my path to solve the problems faced by businesses, I keep my focus on the strengths of decision makers with differences in backgrounds and opinions. We are stronger when we include those who are different in the decision-making process. We all have the opportunity to grow and learn by collaborating with those who have varied experiences and backgrounds. That enables us to solve problems and aid in the important cause of diversity and inclusion.
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