Page 61 - NYLJ Professional Excellence 2021
P. 61

DISTINGUISHED LEADERS





           JEREMIAH


           DeBERRY




           Partner at Mayer Brown




           What are some of your proudest recent achievements?
            I         am proud of the firm’s progress on creating
                      a more diverse and inclusive work-environ-
                      ment. As a result of my participation on the
                      firm’s global partner promotion committee
                      a record percentage of diverse attorneys
                      were promoted to partner in 2020—the part-
                      ner promotion class was the most diverse
           in the firm’s history.
             I’m also proud of the firm’s recently launched speaker
           series on being Black in America. This series focuses on a
           number of important topics including, racial justice in cor-
           porate America, structural racism in America’s institutions,
           America’s criminal justice system’s impact on Black Ameri-  of firm leaders about how they can contribute to the
           cans the impact of race on Artificial Intelligence and machine    firm’s efforts to create and maintain a diverse and inclu-
           learning.                                         sive work environment has helped me to devise strate-
             Through candid conversations about these issues, we hope   gies and initiatives that have led to much greater and
           to become better allies to our Black colleagues, our friends   meaningful engagement of the various stakeholders at the
           and our family members.                           firm.
             Additionally, I’m exceptionally proud of the firm’s “Project   The two leaders also taught me to lead with empathy and
           Equity” initiative that was launched last year in response to   compassion. Following this advice has made me a much
           the many recent examples of social and racial injustice. As a   more effective leader who engenders loyalty from those
           member of the five-person task force leadership team, I help   who I am responsible to lead.
           guide and organize the firm’s community-facing response,
           including working with community organizations in the   How are the business and profession of law changing,
           NYC area that the firm believes it can effectively match up   and how should lawyers adapt for the future? The pro-
           its skills, experience and resources with a very significant   fession is becoming more of a business than profession
           community need.                                   and business development will continue to take on greater
                                                             significance.
           Name a lawyer or mentor whose leadership inspired you.     Interpersonal skills and the ability to develop and nurture
           Paul Theiss and Barry Brooks. These law firm leaders taught   professional relationships will become paramount. The legal
           me invaluable lessons. But one of the most important les-  profession is a relationship business. The sooner you start
           sons was the importance of being a good listener. This advice   expanding your network and establishing a professional
           helped me to become a much better attorney by being able   reputation—by leveraging the power and scope of social
           to better understand the clients’ needs and objectives which   media platforms—the better.
           resulted in better outcomes being produced by me and     The profession is also becoming more diverse and inclu-
           my team.                                          sive. Embracing and supporting this seismic change will
             This advice has also served me well in my role as the   lead to a better profession, as it strives to ensure a criminal
           chief diversity professional—listening to the concerns     justice system that is fair and equal.


           Photo: Mayer Brown                                                                 |   October 2021   59
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