Skip to content

V&E Partner and Associates Selected for Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Initiatives

Vinson & Elkins has selected partner Patrick Gadson as its Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellow and senior associate Victoria Galvez Godfrey and associate Aurra Fellows as its LCLD Pathfinders for LCLD’s 2021 programs focusing on leadership and relationship building.

Gadson, a corporate attorney in V&E’s New York office and co-head of the firm’s Shareholder Activism practice, joins more than 300 other mid-career LCLD Fellows from across the United States who were identified as high-potential diverse attorneys from preeminent organizations. LCLD’s Fellows Program includes in-house and law firm lawyers and is one of the most comprehensive legal talent development programs in the country designed to advance the next generation of leaders in the profession.

Galvez, an energy regulatory lawyer in V&E’s Washington, D.C. office, and Fellows, a commercial litigator in V&E’s Houston office, join LCLD’s Pathfinder Program supporting attorneys with three to seven years of experience. The Pathfinder Program provides mentoring and training in critical career development strategies, including leadership skills and building professional networks.

Over the course of these year-long programs, participants will be challenged to enhance their professional brand, build professional relationships, participate in corporate learning experiences and sharpen leadership skills.

Founded in 2009, LCLD is a national organization of more than 350 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners who are personally committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive legal profession. In 2020, V&E received the organization’s Top Performers Award for commitment to diversity.

Former LCLD Fellows include V&E partners Manuel Berrelez, Damara Chambers, Devika Kornbacher and Quentin Smith. Former Pathfinders include V&E counsel Simone King and Kent Piacenti and senior associates Rafael Alvarado, Michelle Arishita, Carla Jordan-Detamore, Alex KamelRobert Landicho and Julia Tong.

“Bringing together law firms and in-house legal departments, LCLD has been a driving force in the legal profession with its focused initiatives on diversity and inclusion. I’m proud that V&E has been involved since the beginning as a charter member,” said Manuel Berrelez.

About Vinson & Elkins
For more than a century, Vinson & Elkins has provided outstanding client service across important industries that drive the global economy. Built on a strong culture of collaboration across 11 offices worldwide, V&E lawyers are committed to excellence, offering clients decades of legal experience in handling transactions, investments, projects and disputes across the globe. Learn more by visiting www.velaw.com or follow us on Twitter @VinsonandElkins or connect with us on LinkedIn.

For more information, please speak with our media contacts.