Jenner & Block Appoints Five Women Partners To Practice Leadership

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Sep 16, 2020, 15:07 ET

CHICAGO, Sept. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jenner & Block has appointed Partners Kali Bracey, Carissa Coze, Gayle E. Littleton, Erin R. Schrantz, and Kate T. Spelman to practice leadership roles, effective immediately.

Top row: Kali Bracey and Carissa Coze; Bottom row: Gayle E. Littleton, Erin R. Schrantz, and Kate T. Spelman

"We are pleased to announce the leadership appointments of these exceptional lawyers who have worked hard to achieve successful results for our clients while upholding the firm's core values of excellence, collaboration, diversity and inclusion, and pro bono and public service," said Jenner & Block's Co-Managing Partners Katya Jestin and Randy Mehrberg. "Their experience and insight as practice leaders will be a great benefit as we continue to develop the next generation of talented and diverse leaders so we can best serve our clients and their changing needs."

Ms. Littleton and Ms. Schrantz now serve as co-chairs of the Investigations, Compliance, and Defense Practice Group, along with current co-chairs Anthony S. Barkow, Christine Braamskamp, and Andrew Weissmann. Recognized in Global Investigations Review's most recent "GIR 100" guide to "the world's leading firms for corporate investigations," the practice represents individuals and businesses in criminal prosecutions, grand jury investigations, internal investigations and compliance reviews, extradition proceedings, and civil enforcement actions brought by state and federal agencies.

Ms. Coze now chairs the firm's new Sports and Gaming Practice. Jenner & Block is already well established in this space—Law360 recognized the firm with its inaugural Sports & Betting Practice Group of the Year award earlier this year. The practice draws on the experience of lawyers in the firm's litigation, transactional, regulatory, Native American, technology, sports and other practices to address this rapidly growing area. Ms. Coze will continue to serve as one of the co-chairs of firm's Corporate Practice.

Ms. Bracey and Ms. Spelman now serve as co-chairs of the Consumer Law Practice, together with Partner Jeremy M. Creelan. Jenner & Block's consumer law lawyers represent the world's largest and most respected companies against class actions and regulatory enforcement based on consumer protection statutes, including matters involving false advertising, product liability/mass tort, and violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, among others. The practice regularly provides thought leadership commentary on industry developments in its Consumer Finance Observer newsletter and Consumer Law Round-Up blog.

Ms. Bracey also now co-chairs the State Enforcement and Regulation Practice with Partner Brian Hauck and Jenner & Block Chair Thomas J. Perrelli. Lawyers in the practice help companies to navigate and overcome state regulators' investigations and enforcement actions, drawing on a wealth of experience at the intersection of legislation, government regulation, politics, and law enforcement.

"Jenner & Block is focused on consistently developing and deploying the diverse pool of talent within our firm to ensure our success now and in the future," said Susan J. Kohlmann, chair of the firm's Diversity and Inclusion Committee and managing partner for the New York office who also serves on the Policy Committee, which is one of the firm's two governing bodies. "Teams with diverse backgrounds, experience, and leadership provide our clients with the best possible legal services and make the firm stronger."

Ms. Bracey, Ms. Coze, Ms. Littleton, Ms. Schrantz, and Ms. Spelman's leadership appointments reinforce Jenner & Block's ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion. Currently, 37 percent of the firm's practice group leaders are women, lawyers of color, or LGBTQ lawyers.

Earlier this year, the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) awarded Jenner & Block its 2020 Gold Standard Certification, making the firm one of 48 honored in the United States and among only 23 that met all six criteria for inclusion. Law firms with 300 or more practicing lawyers in the United States are eligible for the certification if they successfully demonstrate that women represent a meaningful percentage of their equity partners, of their highest leadership positions, of their governance and compensation committees, and of their most highly compensated partners, and that there be meaningful diversity among their women equity partners. In 2020, Jenner & Block once again achieved Mansfield Plus Certification, which recognizes the firm for not only considering at least 30 percent women and minorities for leadership positions and senior-level recruiting annually, but for having at least 30 percent women and minorities in key leadership roles and lateral hires. In 2018, the firm was one of the "41 trailblazing law firms" that initially achieved Mansfield Certification after completing the inaugural Mansfield Rule pilot.

ABOUT JENNER & BLOCK
Jenner & Block LLP is a law firm with global reach, with offices in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC. The firm is known for its prominent and successful litigation practice and experience handling sophisticated and high-profile corporate transactions. Firm clients include Fortune 100 companies, large privately held corporations, financial services institutions, emerging companies, Native American tribes, and venture capital and private equity investors. In 2020, The American Lawyer recognized the firm for the fourth consecutive year as the #1 pro bono firm in the United States, marking the 10^th time in 13 years the firm has received this recognition. In 2020, the publication also recognized the firm as the #3 international pro bono firm, and in 2018, named the firm as its first "Pro Bono Champion."

SOURCE Jenner & Block LLP