Reed Smith Employees on Executive Board for Black Women

Reed Smith is pleased to announce that three of its Bay Area attorneys will serve on the Executive Board for the Black Women Lawyers Association of Northern California (BWLNC).

San Francisco-based Commercial Litigation partner Tiffany Renee Thomas is BWLNC’s new President. Additionally, Silicon Valley-based Corporate and Securities associate Michelle O. Stewart now serves as the new Membership Chair, and San Francisco-based Financial Industry Group associate Maria E. Jones is the new Programming Chair.

Reed Smith is a longtime sponsor of BWLNC, which provides professional, educational, social and moral support for black women judges, lawyers and law students in Northern California, while also remaining dedicated to active service in the surrounding communities.

Ms. Thomas, whose practice at Reed Smith focuses on the defense and counseling of employers in all aspects of employment law, received her A.B. in Political Science from Stanford University in 2002 and her J.D. from Berkeley Law (Boalt Hall) in 2005. She was elected BWLNC president after serving as the organization’s Secretary.

Ms. Thomas also co-chaired BWLNC’s Hon. Patricia Ann McKinley Memorial Luncheon which celebrated the life and legacy of Judge McKinley, the youngest and first African-American woman appointed to the Bay Municipal Court, who tragically lost her battle with cancer at the age of 37. In addition to BWLNC, Tiffany currently serves on the Boards of the East Bay Community Law Center and the Stanford National Black Alumni Association.

Looking ahead to the new year, Thomas stated in her first President’s Message that:

“In 2014, BWLNC will look to our organization’s past for inspiration for our future. Toward that end, we are embarking on a year-long project to document and celebrate our 36 year history. Our efforts will culminate in a celebration of the founding members of BWLNC and our Past Presidents at the Honorable Patricia Ann McKinley Luncheon, an event that honors one of BWLNC’s most distinguished and inspirational members.”

“Here’s to a 2014 filled with sisterhood, sharing, and support, and a lot of laughter along the way,” says Thomas.

More information can be found on the BWLNC website.

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