On the heels of Labor Day, we are spotlighting attorneys who have dedicated their careers to the ever-evolving field of labor and employment law. These legal leaders proved to be especially crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic as workplaces worldwide navigated the uncertainty and instability of an unprecedented era.
In this issue of The Brief, we celebrate in-house counsel who make an impact on employees and employers by tirelessly protecting the interests of the workforce while preserving the prosperity of their organizations.
Culture of Collaboration Destiny Washington, Southwire Company
In her role as senior employment counsel, Destiny Washington encourages her team at Southwire Company to empathize with each other. She credits her experience in the military—first in the Louisiana Army National Guard, and then the US Army—with instilling in her an appreciation for different perspectives and different cultures. Washington also credits her unique career trajectory to growing her network, which is key to practicing empathy.
“When someone opens themselves up to someone else’s perspective and puts themselves in someone else’s shoes, they learn so much,” she says. “That’s genuinely how I feel, and it’s how I encourage people to look at life. Don’t be in your own bubble.”
As senior vice president and chief counsel, David Katz implemented a full suite of Related Companies’ COVID-19 safety protocols, including return to office plans, health screenings, testing, contact tracing, the company’s first-in-industry vaccination mandate, and more.
Dolores DiBella leads a team that is majority women: a quality that she considers as indicative of the NFL’s legal culture. “We have a great team of dedicated and longstanding employees, which speaks to our culture of genuine collaboration and partnership,” she says.
Nicholas Murray isn’t just a great employment lawyer; he’s a culture builder at Twilio. He passionately helped establish Twilio as an anti-racist and an anti-oppression company. “I’m just really passionate about issues that impact people at such a direct level,” he says.
