BOSTON, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Bar Association (ABA)
Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession will award
Goodwin Procter's Paul Lee with its prestigious "Spirit of Excellence
Award," which celebrates the accomplishments of lawyers who work to promote
a more racially and ethnically diverse legal profession.
Lee, partner in the firm's Private Equity and Securities & Corporate
Finance practices, was nominated for this honor by the National Asian
Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) in recognition of his
longstanding work in promoting diversity at Goodwin Procter, in his local
community and nationally at the ABA and NAPABA.
Lee has been very active with NAPABA, serving on its Board for five
years and as its President in 1995. In addition, his extraordinary depth of
commitment to opening doors for racially and ethnically diverse lawyers is
exemplified by his endowment of $100,000 to the NAPABA Partners' Community
Law Fellowship with the NAPABA Law Foundation. The Community Law Fellowship
was established at Lee's suggestion in 2004 to enable committed attorneys
to pursue careers in service of Asian Pacific American populations by
providing much needed entry-level positions for recent law school graduates
interested in public service work. Moreover, Lee founded and was the first
president of the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts in
1983.
"Paul Lee's leadership in the Asian American Lawyers Association of
Massachusetts and NAPABA helped these two groups develop a viable national
voice on the important issues of diversity," said Regina M. Pisa, chairman
and managing partner at Goodwin Procter. "His dedication in promoting
diversity within the legal profession reflects Goodwin Procter's strong
commitment in this area and we are extremely proud of him. Paul continues
to be active in our firm's Diversity Committee and was instrumental in the
development of the Goodwin Diversity Fellowships, which provide annual
stipends to minority law students to help them defray the cost of their
legal education."
Lee was born in Boston, growing up in the city's Chinatown, where his
parents worked in restaurants and garment factories. His family later moved
to Brookline, Mass., where he attended Brookline High School. In 1968, he
enrolled in Columbia University and earned a degree in Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science. After working briefly as a computer
programmer, he decided to change careers and enrolled in Cornell University
Law School, where he was an editor of the Cornell International Law
Journal. He strongly believed that, among other benefits, pursuing a law
degree would allow him the opportunity to contribute to the Asian
community.
Lee concentrates his practice on corporate and securities law and
represents high technology and financial services companies. He advises
boards of directors and represents large and small public and privately
held companies in connection with business, securities, governance and
transactional matters. He also advises high technology ventures regarding
their organization, seed and venture capital financings, IPOs and licensing
issues.
Goodwin Procter congratulates the other "Spirit of Excellence Award"
honorees, including Paulette Brown, Former President of the National Bar
Association and Partner at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP; William
Coleman Jr., Former United States Secretary of Transportation, Presidential
Medal of Freedom recipient and Senior Counselor at O'Melveny & Myers; Hon.
Joseph W. Hatchett, Former Chief Judge United States Court of Appeals for
the Eleventh Circuit and Shareholder and Chair of the Appellate Practice
Group at Akerman Senterfitt; Arturo L. Jaramillo, Former President State
Bar of New Mexico and Secretary New Mexico General Services Department;
Hon. William S. Richardson, Former Chief Justice Hawaii Supreme Court and
in residence, William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of
Hawaii; and Thomas A. Mars (Corporate Award), Chairman, ABA Minority
Counsel Program Steering Committee and Senior Vice President & General
Counsel at Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
About Goodwin Procter LLP
Goodwin Procter LLP is one of the nation's leading law firms with 700
attorneys. The firm's core areas of practice are corporate, litigation and
real estate, with specialized areas of focus that include financial
services, private equity, technology companies, REITs and real estate
capital markets, intellectual property and products liability. Goodwin
Procter is headquartered in Boston, with offices in Los Angeles, New York,
San Francisco and Washington, DC.
About the American Bar Association
With more than 413,000 members, the American Bar Association (ABA) is
the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world. As
the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the
administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges
in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education,
and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance
of the rule of law in a democratic society.
The ABA's Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession
is a catalyst to change the legal profession to reflect the society it
serves. It helps racially and ethnically diverse lawyers advance their
careers and standing in the profession. Its leadership, programs and
information help the profession understand and eliminate racism, bigotry
and discrimination. The commission works to increase racial and ethnic
diversity in the legal profession, and thus enrich it.
Contact:
Melissa Doyle
Goodwin Procter LLP
(617) 570-1026
SOURCE Goodwin Procter LLP
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Related links:
http://www.goodwinprocter.com
CONTACT:
Melissa Doyle of Goodwin Procter LLP,
+1-617-570-1026
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