WILEF Celebrates 10th Year, Adds Men to Board

The Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) today announces the addition of six men to its Global Advisory Board, the first men to hold seats on the Board.  These six highly regarded male attorneys will join the 92 prominent women attorneys that currently hold positions on the WILEF Global Advisory Board.

About the new WILEF Advisory Board members: 

Creighton Condon is a Senior Partner at Shearman & Sterling, having previously served as a European Managing Partner and co-head of the firm’s Global Mergers & Acquisitions Group. Mr. Condon is nationally ranked as a leading corporate and M&A attorney, and has represented including Citigroup, Cadbury and Viacom.

“It is a great honor to join the board of this important organization and serve alongside my colleague Doreen Lilienfeld. The firm has long advocated for diversity in the workplace, and I look forward to assisting WILEF in its critical mission to advance women in the legal profession.”

Joe Conroy is the Chief Executive Officer of Cooley and a member of the firm's Management Committee. Prior to becoming CEO, Mr. Conroy's practice focused on the representation of high-technology clients in connection with corporate and securities transactions and technology procurement and transfer matters with particular emphasis on life science, software and telecommunications companies.

“The work that WILEF is doing to promote the advancement of women in the legal profession is unmatched and I am honored to be one of the first men to sit on the organization’s board. At Cooley we believe that diversity initiatives must be inclusive and broadly adopted to be effective and impactful. People of all races and genders must have a real seat at the table for us to make a positive lasting impact together.”

Eric Friedman is an Executive Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and was previously involved in a number of significant M&A and corporate finance transactions, advising clients including many of the world’s largest financial institutions. Mr. Friedman also has built upon the firm’s longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, receiving a “Diversity & Inclusion Champion Award” from the New York City Bar Association in recognition of his commitment to diversity at Skadden.

"I am honored to join WILEF's Board and look forward to contributing to the group's ongoing efforts to foster the retention and promotion of women in corporate law firms."

Mike Lackey is the leader of Mayer Brown’s Global Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice, and previously served on the firm’s Partnership Board. In addition to being an accomplished litigator, Mr. Lackey is nationally recognized for his work with electronic discovery issues and co-leads the firm's Electronic Discovery & Information Governance practice.

“Year after year, WILEF has set an admirably high standard for law firms to promote inclusion in the legal profession. I am continually inspired by the superior work, vital perspective and collaborative spirit brought forward by my female colleagues, and embrace WILEF’s challenge to raise the standard for leadership representation in the industry.”

Marco V. Masotti is a member of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison’s Management Committee, Deputy Chair of the Corporate Department and co-head of the Private Funds Group. He is recognized as one of the country’s leading lawyers in the alternative asset management industry, and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Private Investment Funds Forum and the Senior Vice Chair of the Private Investment Funds Subcommittee of the International Bar Association.

“In today’s rapidly changing global economy, a diverse and inclusive leadership is a firm’s greatest weapon against group think, and greatest asset in attracting and retaining the best talent. That is why I am delighted to join the WILEF Board, and look forward to growing both WILEF’s impact and my own inclusive leadership skills.”

Carter Phillips is the Chair of Sidley Austin’s Executive Committee and was the Managing Partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office for almost two decades. Mr. Carter has argued a total of 82 cases before the United States Supreme Court, including nine cases on behalf of the federal government, the most of any lawyer currently in private practice.

“I am deeply honored by the invitation to join WILEF’s Board. Advancing women in the legal profession has been a long-time goal both for Sidley as a firm and for me personally. WILEF is a leader in this important effort because it challenges law firms to improve how we promote and empower the women in our firms, and I am thrilled to be part of it.”