Panel: Implications of SCOTUS Harvard/UNC Decisions on Corporate Policies & DEI Programs
NEW YORK - March 28, 2024 - Greenberg Traurig Senior Vice President, Shareholder, and Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Officer Nikki Lewis Simon was a panelist during the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (Nareit) REITwise: 2024 Law, Accounting & Finance Conference in Florida.
Simon spoke during a general session panel titled “Implications of SCOTUS Harvard/UNC Decisions on Corporate Policies & DEI Programs.” Panelists covered an overview of the decisions and compliance guidance; EEOC response and follow-on litigations in the corporate arena; considerations for hiring, employee resource groups, internal and external programs targeting underrepresented employees; and the impact on corporate foundations and social justice grants. American Tower Corporate Executive Vice President Chief Accounting Officer and General Counsel & Secretary Ruth Dowling led the panel.
Simon, resident in the firm’s Miami office, designs and guides strategic initiatives and programs to deepen firmwide diversity and inclusion efforts that further enrich client engagements and community investments. Her role is indicative of, and integral to, Greenberg Traurig’s core values of collaboration and inclusion – principles that inform the firm’s operations and legal business in meaningful, positive ways. Prior to assuming primary responsibilities on the business side of the firm, Simon has represented her cross-industry clients’ business objectives by protecting their capital – human, intellectual, and financial – against claims of wrongdoing in complex commercial and class action litigation. Given her experience, Simon is also an active member of Greenberg Traurig’s Labor & Employment Practice’s team of diverse lawyers who concentrate in strategic DEI and employment counseling.
Greenberg Traurig's Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Group unites the transactional and regulatory experience from the global law firm’s recognized Corporate & Securities, Real Estate, and Tax practices to provide clients with a multidisciplinary legal team. Nareit is a trade association that represents the interests of real estate investment trusts and other public companies that deal with the U.S. real estate market.
Other Greenberg Traurig attorneys participating in the conference included Shareholders Yuta N. Delarck, Bennett I. Deutsch, Timothy W. Donovan, Joseph A. Herz, Sanford C. Presant, and Carl J. Riley. Greenberg Traurig was a sponsor of the conference held March 19-21.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Diversity Initiative: From its inception, Greenberg Traurig has been committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Greenberg Traurig is a uniquely empowering and diverse firm built on a foundation of fairness, equality, and authenticity. Through its Social, Racial, and Economic Justice Action Plan, the firm has committed $5 million over five years to help combat systemic racism and support impoverished communities. In addition, the firm’s efforts have been recognized through its Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certification Plus, administered by The Diversity Lab, and by local, national, and global publications and organizations including Chambers and Partners. Web: https://www.gtlaw.com/en/general/our-firm/diversity Twitter: @GT_Drives.
About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2750 attorneys in 47 locations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm is a 2022 BTI “Highly Recommended Law Firm” for superior client service and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100 and NLJ 500. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab. The firm is recognized for powering its U.S. offices with 100% renewable energy as certified by the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e® Energy program and is a member of the U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership Program. The firm is known for its philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: www.gtlaw.com.