3 From Chattanooga Included As Husch Blackwell Elects 36 To 2022 Partnership Class

  • Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Andrew Hodgson, Erin Olshever, Corporate and Rebecca Taylor, of Chattanooga, are among 36 attorneys Husch Blackwell has elected to the firm’s partnership, effective Jan. 1, 2022. 

"This year’s class, which is the largest in the firm’s history and one of the most diverse cohorts to date, is composed of 44 percent women and 14 percent people of color, spanning 13 offices and all six of the firm’s industry teams," officials said.

Husch Blackwell was recently recognized by the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance as a 2021 “Tipping the Scales” firm, which recognizes law firms for having at least half of their U.S.-based new partner class comprised of women.

“Congratulations to these 36 new partners,” said Chief Executive Paul Eberle. “All have distinguished themselves as outstanding lawyers, committed to solving our clients’ toughest problems, and being collaborators. This is an important milestone, and these attorneys have earned the right to be part of our partnership through an exceptional level of dedication to our firm and to our clients.”

The Husch Blackwell Partnership Class of 202 includes:
 
Stephen Agee
Matthew Ahlers
Yinka Ajagunna
Jordan Bergkamp
Myers Dill
Patrick Eckelkamp
Ashley Edwards
Remy Fesquet
Andrew Frost
Andrew Glenn
Brian Hembd
Molly Hobbs
Andrew Hodgson
Robert Hurtt
Alex Jashinsky
Cynthia Juedemann
Matthew Kamps
Kaytlin Kopen
Joesph LaDien
Timothy Larkin
David Lopez
Danielle Luisi
Emily Lyons
Michael Martinich-Sauter
Josie Metzler
Christina Moore
Erin Olshever
Randall Rios
Elizabeth Samples
Nida Shakir Ghaffar
Nicholas Stepp
Dustin Taylor
Rebecca Taylor
Ashley Todd
Yuefan Wang
Jennifer Witt 

“These 36 attorneys have demonstrated a commitment to maintaining and growing our firm’s culture,” said Chair Catherine Hanaway. “In addition to serving clients and giving back to their communities through pro bono efforts, these new partners have also spent an average of 10 hours each this year on various Diversity, Equity & Inclusion-related activities including our Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Diversity Liaison Program and Associate Mentoring and Coaching. We could not be prouder in welcoming them to the firm’s partnership.”

Husch Blackwell’s Diversity Liaison Program, which began in February 2020, is a one-on-one mentoring program that pairs partners and senior attorneys with attorneys of color and those who identify as LGBTQ+. More than 16 percent of this year’s partner class participates in the program, which includes 111 diverse associates, senior counsel and staff attorneys.

Earlier this year Husch Blackwell hired Amanda Garcia-Williams as the firm’s first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, where she will lead the firm’s diversity and inclusion efforts for lawyers and staff, including implementation of strategy, best practices, programs, initiatives and training.

“It’s wonderful to see the promotion of so many talented people, and we are especially proud of the work we have done to identify and promote exceptional women into the partnership ranks; however, that is only one part of the equation,” Ms. Garcia-Williams said. “This year’s class is 14 percent people of color. While that number is above average for firms of our size according to the most recent ABA Model Diversity report, it’s not where we want to be, and we are proactively looking for ways to improve that number.”

Husch Blackwell was recently the recipient of Mansfield Plus certification for the third consecutive year, and a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index for the sixth year in a row.

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