NEW YORK – Aug. 31, 2023 – Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, is a winner in three Corporate Counsel 2023 Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) Awards categories: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), Team Awards; Ally of the Year, Francis A. Citera; and Collaborative Leadership Award, G. Michelle Ferreira. Honorees will be recognized at a dinner Oct. 18 at the publication’s WIPL conference in New Orleans.
The awards honor general counsel, in-house leaders and law firm partners who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in law, according to Corporate Counsel.
Leading the firm’s award-winning DEI program and team is Nikki Lewis Simon, shareholder and the firm’s Chief DEI Officer. For more than 10 years, Simon has helped in-house counsel understand how to help firms retain and develop diverse lawyers, and also serves as an advisor on internal DEI matters. A commercial litigator with more than 20 years of experience, Simon utilizes her talent for creating meaningful connections with clients that further advance DEI in the legal profession. She attributes the team’s success to the fact that while each member has a unique role, individuals are cross-trained and continuously collaborate, coordinate, and communicate with the firm’s business operation departments, with legal practice and firm leaders, and with external organizations.
Citera is a nationally recognized trial lawyer with 40 years of experience representing clients in product liability, toxic torts, class actions, and other complex litigation matters. He is co-chair of the firm’s Product Liability and Mass Torts Litigation Practice and co-chair of the Chicago Litigation Practice. Citera defends companies in various industries and business sectors, including multinational retailers and technology and electronics companies. Having mentored many women attorneys and advocated for their advancement for several decades, Citera is known for offering meaningful opportunities for women to develop their legal and leadership skills at every stage of their careers.
Ferreira, co-managing shareholder of two of Greenberg Traurig’s six California offices, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, focuses on delivering excellent tax service to her clients, giving back to the Bay Area community, fostering diversity initiatives, and working collaboratively with firm colleagues. Leveraging her deep government experience as a former tax litigator for the IRS and more than 20 years of private tax practice, most at Greenberg Traurig, Ferreira takes a holistic approach to representing her clients, counseling them from both the government and private clients’ perspectives of a tax controversy. Her record of accomplishments includes more than 23 reported decisions before the U.S. Tax Court and U.S. District Courts.
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 5.0 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 2650 attorneys in 45 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 5.0 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.