McGuireWoods selected associates Mohammad Imaad and Wendy Wright as representative members of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity 2021 Pathfinders Program, which fosters professional development of lawyers early in their careers.
Based in the firm’s Tysons office, Imaad defends financial institutions, broker-dealers and other corporate clients in commercial, securities and financial services litigation. He also is part of a team handling a multijurisdictional litigation portfolio for a Fortune 50 transportation company.
Wright focuses her Washington, D.C., practice on the healthcare industry, advising clients on compliance with federal and state healthcare laws, and assisting healthcare providers with mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and other transactional matters. Representative clients include hospitals, physician groups, physician practice management organizations, dental practices, dental services organizations and home health facilities.
Imaad and Wright previously participated in McGuireWoods’ Diverse Associates Leadership Program, designed to equip top-performing associates of color and LGBTQ+ associates with the tools and leadership skills deemed essential to their career development and advancement to partnership. In LCLD’s Pathfinders Program, they will have opportunities to polish their networking, leadership and career strategies through in-person meetings, regional gatherings and online learning programs.
Charlotte securities and capital markets partner Rakesh Gopalan, who chairs McGuireWoods’ Asian Pacific Lawyers Network, will serve as the Pathfinder Program facilitator. Gopalan participated in the LCLD Fellows Program in 2014, served on the LCLD Fellows Board, and has served as Pathfinder Program facilitator for several years.
Baltimore partner Ava Lias-Booker, chair of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, said, “LCLD is doing important work to develop a diverse pipeline of future leaders and McGuireWoods is proud of its longstanding support for the organization and its mission. For more than a decade, the firm has supported LCLD’s mission, illustrating our commitment to advancing D&I at the firm and in the legal profession.”
Founded in 2009, LCLD is a national organization of corporate counsel and law firm managing partners dedicated to creating a diverse legal profession.