Shearman & Sterling’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee hosted the LEAD (Lawyers for Empowerment and the Advancement of Diversity) Mentoring Reception on Wednesday, January 11th in the New York office. The program featured a fireside chat with Michael Held, General Counsel of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; and George Madison, partner at Sidley Austin LLP, former General Counsel of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and an alumnus of Shearman & Sterling. The engaging program addressed the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and the value of developing mentorship relationships and how they can impact professional career advancement.

Denise Grant, a partner in the firm’s Project Development & Finance practice and co-chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, offered the welcome remarks and introduced the special guests Held, Madison and John Mbiti, director and in-house lawyer at Credit Suisse, alumnus of Shearman & Sterling and one of the creators of the LEAD mentoring initiative. Drawing on the experiences and strategies that helped forge their professional career paths, the speakers provided guidance to help advance LEAD’s important message on mentoring. Held noted, “The right mentor will push you out of your comfort zone and encourage you to take on opportunity.”

The event concluded with remarks by John Cannon, a partner in Shearman & Sterling’s Compensation, Governance & ERISA practice and co-chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, who reinforced the importance of continuing the dialogue about cultivating mentor relationships. 

Many of the evening’s guests expressed that they were enlightened and inspired by the discussion.