Cooley Lawyers Join Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellows and Pathfinder Programs

Chicago – March 9, 2023 – The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) has welcomed Cooley partner Bobby Earles to the organization’s Fellows Program, and Cooley associates Christopher Andrews and Sangitha Palaniappa have been invited to its Pathfinder Program.

Earles, who was among the first to join Cooley’s Chicago office after its launch in 2021, is a seasoned litigator and trial lawyer whose practice focuses on private equity and M&A disputes. Andrews is based in New York and represents clients in a broad range of complex commercial litigation and investigations, and Palaniappa is based in Palo Alto, where she focuses primarily on mergers & acquisitions and other complex corporate transactions.

Launched in 2011, the LCLD’s Fellows Program fosters professional and personal development opportunities for the future leaders of the legal industry, connecting high-potential lawyers from underrepresented groups with experienced general counsel and managing partners for mentorship and career guidance. This is the 10th year that Cooley has participated in the LCLD program.

The LCLD Pathfinder Program provides mentorship opportunities to emerging leaders across the legal industry by providing practical tools for developing and leveraging internal professional networks, foundational leadership skills and an understanding of career development strategies.

Founded in 2009, the LCLD has grown to more than 400 members who serve as general counsel of major corporations or managing partners of top US law firms. The LCLD is united in its commitment to preparing future generations of diverse talent for the highest positions of leadership across the legal profession.

Diversity, equity and inclusion is embedded in Cooley’s culture, which is reflected in numerous recognitions by prominent industry organizations and publications, including a six-time perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, a Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum for 11 consecutive years and achieving Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule Certification Plus status. Cooley has also been recognized as one of the best law firms for women by Seramount (formerly Working Mother magazine) for 11 years in a row.

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