Lewis Brisbois Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month 2022
(September 15, 2022) - Lewis Brisbois is pleased to be celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month this year from September 15 through October 15. In honor of this month of recognition, we look forward to sharing a series of spotlight posts featuring our Hispanic American colleagues reflecting upon the importance of this month and mentorship within the Hispanic and legal communities. We begin this series with an opening message from the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee. Keep an eye on this page and the firm's social media feeds for more posts in the coming weeks. Learn more about DEI at Lewis Brisbois here.
The first contribution in our National Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight series comes from Los Angeles Partner Leo Bautista, who expresses gratitude for his own mentors and discusses his enjoyment of mentoring others. He also acknowledges the “huge contributions” that members of the Hispanic community have made to our nation.
Leo is a member of the firm's Intellectual Property & Technology Group and co-chair of its Franchise & Distribution and Trade Secrets & Non-Compete Disputes Practices. A certified specialist of franchise and distribution law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, Leo focuses his practice on intellectual property, commercial litigation, and franchising matters.
Learn more about Leo’s professional experience here.
The next contribution in our National Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight series comes from Fort Lauderdale Partner Marcela Gyires, who describes how a mentor helped her navigate a career path in business immigration law that has lasted more than 11 years. She also reflects upon the meaning of this month and giving back to the Hispanic community.
Marcela is a member of Lewis Brisbois' Immigration Practice and is board certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education. She is also a board member of the Palm Beach County Hispanic Bar Association.
Learn more about Marcela's professional experience here.
In our next National Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight post, we hear from Los Angeles Virtual Events Specialist Erendira Ortiz-Zarate, who explains that although she attributes her success to her family and community first, her mentors have also been invaluable in her professional journey, helping her prepare for the transition into the working world.
Erendira is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ Marketing team. She works with attorneys across the firm’s nationwide network to create and execute bespoke presentations for client and industry events.
Learn more about Erendira’s professional experience here.
The next contribution in our National Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight series comes from Seattle Associate Aryn Seiler, who describes her impactful mentor/mentee relationship with Houston Partner Joelle Nelson. She also calls on partners during this month to view themselves as "a conduit of information, knowledge, resources, access, and friendship" to those who face challenges as a result of their heritage.
Aryn is a member of the firm's General Liability Practice and has practiced law in Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington. She focuses on the defense of corporate clients of all sizes in litigation concerning professional liability and long-term care. Learn more about her professional experience here.
In our next National Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight, we hear from Fort Lauderdale Virtual Programs Manager Ashley Casanovas, who explains that she always knew mentorship would be “key to [her] success." She describes how seeking out mentors throughout her educational career resulted in the confidence she feels in bringing her “authentic self to work every day.”
Ashley is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ Marketing team. An experienced programming manager, she works with attorneys throughout the firm to create customized virtual presentations for internal, client, and industry events.
Learn more about Ashley’s professional experience here.
Next, we hear from Hartford Associate Aaron Arias, who describes how connecting with mentors had several positive impacts on his education and professional career. Urging his Hispanic colleagues to reach out to the next generation of Hispanic professionals, he credits his mentors with allowing him to pursue the legal career that he always desired.
Aaron is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ General Liability Practice. He handles matters throughout all stages of litigation. Outside of his practice, Aaron is an active member of the Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association and the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association.
Learn more about Aaron’s professional experience here.
In our next National Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight, we hear from Houston Paralegal Elizabeth Trevino, who discusses the many important values that she embodies as a result of her Hispanic heritage as well as her mother’s influence. She also explains that she feels lucky to work in an environment where her colleagues understand the importance of culture and diversity.
In her role as a paralegal, Elizabeth works with Lewis Brisbois’ attorneys on a variety of complex matters. Learn more about her professional experience here.
Next in our National Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight series, we hear from Los Angeles Billing Clerk Jennifer White, who discusses her deep ties to Los Angeles and its vibrant Hispanic community. She also describes how her mentors at Lewis Brisbois helped her move successfully into the firm’s billing department a few years ago.
For the majority of her 30-year career, Jenny has worked as a litigation secretary within the insurance defense arena of Southern California. Joining Lewis Brisbois in March 2018, she was asked to assist with an accounting project shortly after the onset of the pandemic in 2020. A few months later, she transitioned to the billing department on a full-time basis.
As National Hispanic Heritage Month continues, we hear from Los Angeles e-Discovery Manager Magdalena Diaz, who describes how the mentorship of her parents, friends, and colleagues positively influenced her decisions and career path. As a first generation Mexican American, Magdalena also emphasizes the importance of serving as a mentor to those just starting down the road to fulfilling their dreams.
Magdalena has worked in the legal technology arena for more than two decades. She assists attorneys with their technology needs throughout all phases of litigation, with a particular focus on electronic discovery. Learn more about Magdalena's professional experience here.
In our next spotlight, we hear from Wilmington Partner Rafael X. Zahralddin-Aravena, who discusses his extensive involvement with the Hispanic National Bar Association and his observations of the positive impacts of mentorship within the Hispanic legal community. He also notes Lewis Brisbois’ commitment to diversity as a driving factor in his joining the firm earlier this year.
Rafael is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ Corporate, Bankruptcy, Complex Business & Commercial Litigation, Digital Asset, and Ukraine Conflict Response Practices. A skilled business lawyer and litigator, he has significant experience advising clients in corporate and commercial litigation, insolvency, distressed M&A, regulatory & compliance matters, commercial transactions, cyber law, and cross-border issues.
Read the ABA article Rafael references here and learn more about his professional background here.
Next in our spotlight series, we hear from San Bernardino Deposition Clerk Edwyn Gutierrez, who describes how his parents, teachers, coaches, and even friends’ parents served as his mentors and taught him important lessons. He notes that the Hispanic community has embodied the values of hard work and selflessness for decades, and encourages others to practice kindness and compassion.
Edwyn joined Lewis Brisbois just over a year ago following a career outside the legal industry. He assists attorneys with all aspects of depositions and other discovery-related matters and provides general clerical support in a variety of litigation. Learn more about his professional experience here.
As we near the end of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we hear from Orange County Associate Laura Lopez, who describes how the value of community – prevalent in Latin culture – has allowed her to experience the benefits of personal and professional mentorship. She urges all attorneys to invest time in mentoring others, as she believes this mentorship ultimately will help shape the practice of law.
Laura is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ Construction Practice. Fluent in Spanish, she regularly handles all phases of litigation in construction matters, as well as cases involving healthcare, insurance defense, and probate issues. Learn more about Laura’s professional background here.
In our final National Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight post, we hear from New York Associate Zac Candelaria, who discusses how the energy that various mentors invested in him impacted his experiences and allowed him to succeed. In particular, he shares how the Latino coaches of his high school travel baseball team helped him learn the meaning of teamwork. He also expresses gratitude for the opportunity to be part of Lewis Brisbois’ diverse community.
Zac is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ General Liability Practice. He focuses on the defense of property owners and management companies in premises liability, negligent hiring/supervision, and general liability matters. Learn more about his professional background here.
As National Hispanic Heritage Month 2022 comes to an end, we share a closing message from our DEI committee. Learn more about DEI at Lewis Brisbois here.
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David Oubre
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Karen Campbell
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Marcela Gyires
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Rafael Zahralddin
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Zac Candelaria
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