Akin Announces Inaugural DEI Leadership Awards
Akin honored four of its lawyers and three of its business services professionals at its inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Leadership Awards. The awards recognize those in the firm who have had an outsized influence in the firm’s DEI initiatives by demonstrating excellence across six key areas: leadership, role model, learning, mentorship, innovation and accountability.
The Akin DEI Leadership Awards honorees are:
- Tony Pierce, disputes & investigations partner and partner in charge of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Tony was co-chair of the firm’s Black Firmwide Resource Group (FRG) and is a long-serving member of the firmwide DEI Council.
- Marissa Román Griffith, media & entertainment partner. Marissa serves as the co-chair of the Los Angeles’ offices DEI Council, co-chair of the LatinX FRG and member of the firmwide DEI Council.
- Jake Brown, financial restructuring counsel in London. Jake serves as vice chair of the Out & Allied FRG.
- Allyson Li, corporate & finance counsel in Houston. Allyson is a member of the Asian FRG and the Chair’s Associates and Counsel Committee.
- Juanita Bright, director of project management office & IT management. Juanita serves as co-chair of the business services Black FRG.
- Theresa Harrison, senior project manager, IT, and Tina Cunningham, Dallas office administrator. Together, Theresa and Tina lead the business services Women’s FRG.
The efforts of these lawyers and business services professionals, and many more, have resulted in a number of recognitions for the firm, including 15 consecutive perfect scores on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index, three Diversity Lab Mansfield Rule Certified Plus designations, seven appearances on The American Lawyer’s A-List and a top 10 placement on Law.com International’s inaugural U.K. A-List in 2022. Also last year, Akin was honored with Am Law’s Corporate Purpose Award in recognition of its five-pillar approach, inclusive of DEI, as the guiding principles for the firm’s ethos, policies and programs.
