WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 26, 2016 — Ernest LaMont Greer, co-president of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, and Johnine P. Barnes, chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice’s Statutory Compliance and Contracts and Regulatory Practice Group, were honored by the National Bar Association (NBA) with the 2016 Presidential Award.
The NBA recognized Greer and Barnes for outstanding service to the organization and its mission of promoting equal justice and diversification of the bar. NBA President Benjamin Crump presented each of them with the Presidential Award during the opening awards program at the NBA’s 91st Annual Convention, held July 16-22, 2016 in St. Louis, Missouri.
“Greenberg Traurig has a rich history of commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion within the legal profession across a global platform of now 38 offices in the United States, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia,” said Greer. “We have also been a longtime advocate for and supporter of the National Bar Association, an organization that continues to do critical work through diversity trainings, continuing legal education seminars, and other successful programming. We are truly honored to be recognized in this area by such a prestigious and effective group.”
The firm co-sponsored the International Law Forum Luncheon during the convention. In addition, firm shareholder Vicky B. McPherson moderated a discussion during the convention. The program, titled, “Doing Business in Emerging Markets,” identified and analyzed common problems and discussed practical solutions confronted by lawyers in cross-border transactions.
Greer, resident in the firm’s Atlanta office, focuses his robust law practice on representing clients in various complex litigation matters, including class action litigation, construction, contracts (suits on account and guarantee/indemnity agreements), trademarks, products liability, employment, partnership disputes, and other commercial litigation matters. He has wide-ranging trial experience representing clients in multimillion-dollar actions in complex commercial litigation. Greer received the NBA’s Sankofa Award in 2014 for his work in empowering the futures of youth through efforts to make a quality education accessible to all.
Barnes’ practice includes litigating and defending administrative claims of harassment, retaliation and discrimination on the basis of age, race, sex and disability; wrongful discharge and breach of contract issues; and client compliance with federal and state statutes governing employment, including compliance with federal contracting regulations and the applicable statutory provisions. She also has counseled and represented companies, government agencies and associations on labor law issues, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as analogous state statutes, collective bargaining, grievance arbitration and National Labor Relations Board proceedings. Barnes previously served as NBA General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel and Special Counsel to the NBA President. She also received the NBA’s Sadie T.M. Alexander Award in 2014 for her work and promotion of women in the law and the Commercial Law Section Outstanding Counsel of the Year Award in 2013. Barnes is in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
McPherson, also in Washington, D.C., focuses her practice on corporate transactions, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions and project finance. She also has experience advising on initial and follow-on private equity investments for early-stage companies and strategic investments on behalf of private equity firms. Her representative matters on behalf of institutional and private equity investors include domestic and international fund formation, real estate joint ventures, and corporate finance in connection with the acquisition and management of portfolio companies. McPherson represents clients from around the world, including those located in Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and South America. She is an integral member of the firm's Africa Practice Group. She is co-chair of the NBA International Partnership Committee and the Election Protection Committee. McPherson previously received the NBA’s Presidential Award in 2005.
Founded in 1925, the NBA is the nation’s oldest and largest association of predominantly African-American lawyers, judges, educators, and law students with more than 65,000 members throughout the United States and the world.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GTLaw) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. One firm worldwide, GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and among the Top 20 on the 2016 Am Law Global 100. Web: www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.