“What Can You Do Today To Promote Change?” Webinar

The Litigation Counsel of America is pleased to present “What Can You Do Today To Promote Change?” featuring Alanna Rutherford and Macey Russell on Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 1PM EDT.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The pandemic coupled with the graphic death of George Floyd and the events surrounding the killing of Breonna Taylor, among others, have led to significant reflection on issues of race and justice in this country. The legal profession is uniquely situated to play a role not only in those discussions but any solutions. However, law remains the least diverse of the professional services. Join Macey Russell and Alanna Rutherford for an hour long discussion on diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, examining the current state of play and What You Can Do Today To Promote Change?

SPEAKERS

Alanna C. Rutherford
Visa Inc.

Alanna Rutherford is Vice President of Legal for Global Products, Technology, & Business at Visa Inc., where see oversees a variety of legal technology issues, the Visa Rules, global intellectual property litigation, among other things.

Prior to that, Ms. Rutherford was an equity partner at Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, where her primary practice areas were complex civil litigation and antitrust.  She played a leading role in a number of successfully concluded trials and litigation matters.  Among her most prominent cases were the constitutional takings case against the United States brought by AIG shareholders, which resulted in a successful trial verdict against the Government; the 9/11 World Trade Center insurance trial concerning whether the terrorist act constituted one incident or two, which resulted in a successful jury verdict for her clients; and a $4 billion settlement on behalf of American Express in its antitrust case against Visa and MasterCard, which was then considered one of the largest settlements in history.

In addition to being the youngest and first black equity partner at her firm, Ms. Rutherford has received numerous accolades and honors, including being named to the inaugural edition of Crain’s 100 Women Leading Lawyers in New York, Law 360’s Rising Star – One of the top 5 trial lawyers under 40, National Law Journal’s Outstanding Woman Lawyer 2015 award recipient, and Super Lawyers 2014 – 2018.  Ms. Rutherford also serves on the boards of Avenues for Justice, a non-profit alternative to juvenile detention in New York, which she also chairs, and New York Live Arts.

Ms. Rutherford attended Columbia University School of Law, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a senior editor of the Columbia Law Review. She also attended Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the Institute of Political Studies (“Sciences Po”) in Paris, France.

 

E. Macey Russell
Choate Hall & Stewart LLP

Macey Russell is a partner in Choate’s Litigation Department, where he practices in the area of complex commercial litigation. Appointed by the Governor from 2011 until 2014, Macey Russell served as the Chair of the 21-member Judicial Nominating Commission which recommended judicial appointments at all levels throughout the Commonwealth. He served as Vice Chairman in 2010 and as a member from 2007 until 2010. In 2009, the Litigation Counsel of America named Mr. Russell to its Trial Lawyer Honorary Society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. In 2016, American Registry listed him among America’s Top 1% of all Professionals and he received AV Preeminent ratings from both Martindale-Hubble and the Judiciary. In 2017, Mr. Russell was elected as a Fellow in the College of Law Practice Management, an honorary organization made up of individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to the field of law practice management over a period of years. In 2011, the American Bar Foundation named him a Fellow, which is reserved for one third of one percent of attorneys in his jurisdiction. Since 1989, Mr. Russell has been a frequent advisor and contributor to Harvard University Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop. Mr. Russell is listed in Best Lawyers in America.

Mr. Russell is a nationally recognized authority and lecturer on diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. In 2009, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly named him a “Diversity Hero.” In 2011, the Boston Bar Association appointed Mr. Russell as Co-Chair of its Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The Burton Foundation and Library of Congress honored him with a 2011 Burton Award for excellence in legal writing for his co-authored article “Developing Great Minority Lawyers for the Next Generation.” In 2017, Mr. Russell was honored for his volunteer leadership of the Next Level youth football program at the 10th Annual Gala to Support Boys & Girls Club of Brockton. In 2018, Get Konnected together with The Boston Foundation and Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce named him one of Boston’s 100 Most Influential People of Color. Also in 2018, the Boston Bar Association honored Mr. Russell with the “Voice of Change” award.