Movers and Shakers
Dominic Asante
Sunoco Inc.
Chief Counsel Government Affairs and Special Litigation Projects
Dominic K. Asante was named chief counsel for government affairs and special litigation at Sunoco, Inc. Asante is also a member of Sunoco's strategic task force on environmental, health, and safety matters.
Prior to joining Sunoco, Asante held several positions with Philip Morris in New York. In 1977, he assumed the position of counsel for worldwide regulatory affairs. He also served as counsel to the Worldwide Environmental Policy department on environmental matters, the PM21 group on advertising issues and the Worldwide Scientific Affairs department based in Neuchatel, Switzerland, on new technological
In 2001, Asante became Philip Morris' assistant general counsel.
Prior to joining Philip Morris, Asante worked as a litigator with the Philadelphia firm of Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, and the Seattle firm of Bogle & Gates.
Asante graduated from Haverford College in 1988 and Harvard Law School in 1993.
James L. Lipscomb
MetLife, Inc.
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
James L. Lipscomb has been appointed executive vice presi-dent and general counsel of MetLife, Inc. Lipscomb joined MetLife as an attorney in 1972, eventually becoming vice president and associate general counsel in 1987 after a series of promotions.
His most recent position was senior vice president and deputy general counsel of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Prior to that, he was president and CEO of MetLife subsidiary, Conning Corporation. He also worked as head of corporate planning and strategy, a member of MetLife's Strategic Research Group, and headed up MetLife's mortgage portfolio in the Real Estate Investments Department.
Lipscomb earned a B.A. from Howard University in 1969, a J.D. from Columbia University Law School in 1972 and an L.L.M. (Corporations) degree from New York University in 1977.
Anastasia Kelly
MCI
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Anastasia "Stasia" Kelly was appointed executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of MCI. Prior to her appointment, Kelly was general counsel for Sears, Roebuck & Co., where she developed the company's legal strategy and was part of the operating committee. Before joining Sears, Kelly was the senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Fannie Mae.
Prior to moving in-house, Kelly was a partner and associate with the Washington D.C. law firm of Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering LLP, where she represented a number of corporate clients in transactions, as well as bankruptcy, and developed an expertise in technology. She began her legal career at the Dallas law firm of Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal in 1981.
Kelly is a graduate of the George Washington University Law Center and Trinity College. She is a distinguished member of the Women's Bar Association of Chicago and was awarded the Myra Blackwell Award for achievement as a lawyer in 2001. Last year, she earned the National Organization for Women Legal Education and Defense Fund Aiming High Award. She is a member of the board of directors of Owens-Illinois, the American Corporate Counsel Association and Equal Justice Works, she serves as a trustee for Trinity College, and sits on the Board of Trustees for the Brookfield Zoo.
Drema Kalajian
GMAC Commercial Finance LLC
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Drema Kalajian has been named executive vice president and general counsel of GMAC Commercial Finance LLC. Kalajian, who has been on the GM/GMAC legal staff for 19 years, will be the chief legal officer for the organization and all of its subsidiaries.
Kalajian has extensive experience in labor and employment law, as well as product liability and product regulation. Her most recent responsibilities for GMAC were the supervision of employment matters for all of GMAC and its subsidiaries.
Kalajian earned a J.D. from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from University of Detroit Mercy.
George W. Madison
TIAA-CREF
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
George W. Madison joined TIAA-CREF as its executive vice president and general counsel. In this position, Madison will be TIAA-CREF's chief legal officer and direct the company's representation across a wide range of matters.
Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, Madison was executive vice president, corporate secretary and general counsel at Comerica, Inc. Madison was also a partner in the New York office of Mayer, Brown & Platt, where he was the first African-American attorney elected to partnership in the firm's 120- year history, and founded the firm's diversity committee.
Earlier in his career, Madison was an associate with Shearman & Sterling LLP in New York, and clerked for The Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Madison is a graduate of New York University's Stern School of Business. He earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Michele Coleman Mayes
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Michele Coleman Mayes has been appointed senior vice president and general counsel of Pitney Bowes Inc.
Mayes comes to Pitney Bowes after nearly 11 years at the Colgate Palmolive Company, where she was most recently vice president legal, assistant secretary and corporate officer.
Mayes also served as vice president and deputy general counsel international and corporate, where she was responsible for international legal matters. Mayes was also vice president of human resources and legal for Colgate North America.
Prior to joining Colgate Palmolive, Mayes was at the Unisys Corporation, where she served in various legal positions, including staff vice president in charge of litigation worldwide. She has also served in the United States Attorney's Office as an Assistant United States Attorney, becoming chief of the civil division for the Eastern District of Michigan. Mayes has held teaching appointments at Wayne State University Law School and Illinois State University.
Mayes received her B. A. and J. D. degrees from the University of Michigan. She joined the board of NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund in 1996, and became chair in June 2001.
Brenda T. Rhoades
Fifth Circuit Court
First Asian-American Bankruptcy Judge
Brenda T. Rhoades, a partner in the Dallas office of Baker Botts L.L.P, has become the first Asian American on the bankruptcy bench in the Fifth Circuit, replacing Judge Donald Sharp, who retired August 31st. Bankruptcy judges are appointed to 14-year terms.
A native of Seoul, South Korea, Rhoades' practice covers virtually every aspect of bankruptcy and corporate finance law. She is recognized for her expertise in matters such as fraudulent transfers, leveraged buyouts, management of distressed venture capital portfolios, and intellectual property issues related to bankruptcy.
She received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Arizona State University College of Law in 1989, and her B.S. from Texas A&M in 1986.
Andrea L. Zopp
Sears, Roebuck & Co.
General Counsel
Andrea L. Zopp has been named senior vice president and general counsel of Sears, Roebuck and Co. Zopp had been vice president and deputy general counsel of Sara Lee Corporation since January 2000, where she developed legal strategy and led senior attorneys at the company's operating divisions and risk management, environmental services and safety groups.
Prior to joining Sara Lee, Zopp was a partner in the litigation department at Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, Chicago, from 1997-2000. Earlier, she was with the Cook County, Illinois, State's Attorney's Office from 1991- 1996, serving as First Assistant State's Attorney of Cook County, responsible for all office operations, including management of nearly 900 attorneys. She was also a partner in the litigation department of McDermott, Will & Emery and served as deputy chief of the criminal litigation division of the U.S. Attorney's Office from 1983-1990.
Zopp earned her B.S. and J.D. from Harvard University in 1978 and 1981, respectively.
MCCA® WINS TWO AWARDS
MCCA's "Employer of Choice" recognition program has been selected by the Public Affairs Group, Inc. of Washington, D.C., to receive a "Best of the Best" award in the diversity category.
MCCA's Employer of Choice program joins the ranks of other "Best of the Best" award winners including: Fortune magazine, The Black Collegian, the NAACP, the National Urban League, the AARP, and the American Advertising Federation Center on Multiculturalism.
MCCA® was also selected for the Distinguished Legal Service Award by Corporate Legal Times magazine.
The Minority Corporate Counsel Association is devoted to promoting and publicizing the advancement of minority attorneys. If you are the recipient of a recent promotion or have landed a new job, please let us know.
In a letter or press release, please include your full name, your new company's name and location, your former employer's name and location (if you've changed companies), both your new title and your previous title, and a photograph.
Announcements should be sent to the attention of Clayvon Lighty, Editor In Chief, via e-mail to ICLighty@aol.com fax (202.216.9040), or mail (Clayvon Lighty, 1400 L Street, NW, 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20005.)
From the September/October 2003 issue of Diversity & The Bar®
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