Ed Lenci on the Achievement of Diversity and Inclusion at NYSBA International Section's Global Conference In Tokyo

Hinshaw partner Ed Lenci published an article about the achievement of diversity and inclusion at the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) International Section's 2019 Global Conference, held in Tokyo in November. Lenci is Executive Vice Chair of the International Section and was co-chair of the Global Conference. His article titled "Voices from NYSBA Global: A Plan Comes Together," appeared in NYSBA's most recent global e-Newsletter.

In his article, Lenci explains that speakers and attendees hailed from nearly thirty different nations. He also describes two unique sessions at the conference: one, a Human Rights Plenary, featuring discussions of diversity and inclusion, LGBTQ rights, and human trafficking; the other, an assemblage of representatives of the world's major arbitral institutions who discussed, among other topics, the Arbitration Pledge and other efforts to increase the number of women appointed as arbitrators. Lenci also acknowledges a diverse group of volunteer students from Tokyo's International Christian University, which he attended over three decades ago, for their invaluable assistance at the conference.

Additional conference highlights Lenci reports were a speech by acting U.S. Ambassador to Japan Joseph M. Young on U.S.-Japan relations, and the keynote address by the Honorable Kunio Hamada—a founder of Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, one of Japan's "Big Four" law firms—who served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2001 to 2006.

Hinshaw's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Partner D.L. Morriss was a panelist of the Human Rights Plenary and wrote a separate article about his experience.