Page 26 - The American Lawyer Trailblazers - South 2022

Washington, D.C.

David Wolff

Crowell & Moring

What was the genesis of the idea/path that has made you a trailblazer?
As a co-leader of Crowell’s economic sanctions practice, I have worked with clients on a daily basis for the last
decade to manage all aspects of their sanctions compliance. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the landscape
shifted in unprecedented ways. More sanctions were being issued, by more authorities, with broader commercial
consequences, and on a faster timeline than ever before. With this step-change, I have been working around the
clock to advise Crowell, as well as our clients, their GCs, and business leadership to help them navigate the rapidly
changing landscape.

What sort of change has resulted from the concept?
Within days of the start of the crisis, I was advising clients on distilling the key effects of thousands of pages of
new regulations, as well as counseling on the likely future direction sanctions may take. We needed to understand
the rapidly-changing law and interpret it through the lens of front page and generational foreign policy shifts.
The result was providing “usable-today” guidance that appreciated the direct and indirect impact on all aspects
of a client’s operations—frequently in the hundreds of millions in revenue—as well as the effects on people on
the ground, counterparties, and the consequences on local populations. Overnight, we had a seat at the table.
What bearing will this have on the future?
As this landscape continues to change, companies will need to evolve with it. Crowell’s global economic sanctions
team has become even more embedded in our clients’ business. Lawyers are not simply providing counseling on
periodic legal issues as they arise, but are trusted participants in clients’ internal strategic assessments as they rely
not only on our legal acumen, but our business sense, and practical judgment.

Saba Bireda

Sanford Heisler Sharp

What was the genesis of the idea/path that has made you a trailblazer?
Our firm represents a class of African Americans in their discrimination claims against the United States Marshals
Service. The case has been ongoing, in some form, for more than 25 years, and includes thousands of Black USMS
applicants and employees who allege discrimination in hiring, promotion, and assignments.
Over the past four years, I have participated in all aspects of the case including communicating with dozens of our
class members who have waited years to obtain justice. Our class members have been invaluable partners and
inspire me and our team with their persistence and dedication to creating systemic change at the agency.
What sort of change has resulted from the concept?
In the last two years, we have been more aggressive in bringing public attention to the case. For example, we used
the confirmation hearings for the current USMS director to educate senators about the case and, in January 2022,
the Washington Post published a front-page article about the lawsuit.
Our efforts allowed class members to finally have a public platform to tell their stories and advocate for change. In
addition, I believe our litigation efforts and public awareness strategies have encouraged scrutiny of the USMS’s
employment practices and, I hope, some internal evaluation of the issues the lawsuit raised.

What bearing will this have on the future?
Many of the issues alleged in the USMS case—the existence of a “good old boys” network, a legacy of racial ha-
rassment and hostility, and a lack of acknowledgement of entrenched racism within the ranks—are issues other
law enforcement agencies have faced. If the oldest law enforcement agency in the country is required to address
these issues, then other law enforcement agencies may proactively examine their own employment practices to
ensure that all have an equal opportunity to be hired and advance.

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