Phelps Lawyers Join National Leadership Council on Legal Diversity 2022 Programs
NEW ORLEANS — March 30, 2022 — Phelps is pleased to announced The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) has picked three Phelps lawyers for its 2022 programs. Partner Ashley Heilprin was chosen as a 2022 Fellow, and associates Anthony Gambino and Nicole Zaworska joined this year’s Pathfinder class.
“Phelps is a long-time supporter of the LCLD and is proud to have our attorneys participate in its important and enlightening programs,” said Phelps partner LaToya Merritt, chair of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and 2016 Fellow. “The LCLD shares our deep commitment to diversity and inclusion, and these programs align with our goal to provide intentional and enriching professional opportunities for our diverse attorneys. We are extremely pleased that Ashley has agreed to be the 2022 LCLD Fellow and that Anthony and Nicole will participate in the LCLD Pathfinder Program. We are extremely excited about the transformational experience that lies ahead for each. They are proven leaders, with a deep commitment to DEI and a penchant for building bonds within the firm and in their communities. These programs will provide them with valuable experience to help them reach the next stage of their careers.”
Ashley joins a class of 426 Fellows chosen for the landmark program’s newest class. The Fellows program describes its goal as a commitment to “mentor the legal industry’s diverse leaders of tomorrow.” It connects high-potential attorneys like Ashley with leading general counsel, managing partners and their peers to offer one-on-one guidance Fellows will take with them throughout their careers.
As a partner in Phelps’ New Orleans litigation group, Ashley concentrates her practice on commercial litigation, education and media law. She represents clients in business, tort, defamation defense, intellectual property and privacy disputes. A leader in the legal community, she has built a reputation as a talented litigator, successfully trying cases to verdict and negotiating favorable settlements. In addition to her practice, Ashley is a leader in the American Bar Association Section of Litigation, a board member for the ACLU of Louisiana and a former board member for local charter schools.
In their time at Phelps, Anthony and Nicole have already set themselves apart and shown their potential for leadership. Anthony, an associate in Baton Rouge’s litigation group, helps clients across the construction industry resolve disputes and keep projects moving forward. As an associate on the Tampa business team, Nicole focuses on working with companies as they grow, helping their operations run smoothly and getting ahead of potential issues. Along with the 433 Pathfinders in this year’s program, they’ll learn from experienced mentors how to transform their potential into skills that will help them contribute to a more equitable and diverse legal profession.
LCLD was founded in 2009. It includes more than 400 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners committed to creating a truly diverse legal profession. The LCLD Fellows Program, a year-long program devoted to relationship-building and leadership training, has trained nearly 2,000 mid-career attorneys since 2011. The LCLD Pathfinder Program has trained more than 900 early-career attorneys since 2015. It gives participants practical tools to develop and leverage internal professional networks, foundational leadership skills, and an understanding of career development strategies.
About Phelps Dunbar
Phelps is a full-service law firm of more than 350 attorneys. We blend valuable traditions and progressive ideas to foster a culture of collaboration among our lawyers in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, and London. Our six core practice groups — admiralty, business, health care, insurance, labor and employment, and litigation — work together to offer clients a progressive, diverse practice and partnership that handles a broad range of sophisticated business needs regionally, nationally, and internationally.
