Sometimes Forward Really Means Looking Back.

Sometimes moving forward . . .really means looking back.2 01 8 ANNUA L DI VE RSI TY REPORT

InsideRemember when inclusion . . . wasn’t an issueMessage from the Diversity Committee and Management Committee . 3Ushering in a New Era of Legal Diversity SuccessesTom Mitchell . 4Shining a Light on Career Opportunities in LawLuis Lluberas . 5Leveling the Playing Field Through WoMVAKate Cole . 6Valuing Others’ Experiences and PerspectivesCaroline Hubbell Yingling . 7Strengthening Teams and Communities Through Lawyers of ColorJoe Fernandez . 8Creating Opportunity and Building Community Across DifferenceValecia McDowell . 9Inspiring Deeper Understanding Through Firm ForumsAmy Johnson . 10Capturing the Best of the Past for a Better Future2018 Year in Review. 11Our Commitment to DiversityOur Vision, Our Work, Our Culture.

Remember when . . . inclusion wasn't an issue.Moore & Van Allen’s eighth annual diversity report celebrates the ways in which past experiences andupbringings shape current day beliefs and actions. Our personal reflections serve as a powerful reminderof the strides we have made toward true inclusion, and also as the fuel that will propel us to the next levelin diversity and equality. Moore & Van Allen is committed to recruiting, developing and promoting lawyersand staff of every gender, race, religion and sexual orientation. We believe there is unequivocal strengthin diversity, and remain unwavering in efforts to leverage that power for our clients.On behalf of Moore & Van Allen’s Diversity and Management Committees, we proudly present thisyear’s report as a tribute to the efforts, voices, ideas and convictions that are driving positive changewithin the legal industry and beyond. We hope you will join us in our journey of reflection and in the fightagainst conscious and unconscious biases. We welcome and value any feedback or ideas you have forimprovement in 2019, and thank you for your ongoing support in this work.Tom MitchellChairManagement CommitteeValecia McDowellCo-Chair Diversity Committeeand Member of theManagement CommitteeAmy JohnsonCo-ChairDiversity Committee3

TOM MITCHELLCHAIR,MANAGEMENT COMMITTEEUSHERING IN A NEW ERAof Legal Diversity Successes“I give corporate generalcounsel a lot of credit forrecognizing the lack ofdiversity in the legal industryand in turn inspiring law firms tocreate more diverse, inclusiveteams to work on their legalmatters. These efforts bycorporate general counsel andcollaborative programs likethe Charlotte Legal DiversityClerkship have had a majorimpact on law firms”— Tom MitchellChair,Management Committee4Tom Mitchell, a first-generation college student, distinctly recalls thatthe seed for his legal career was planted during a middle school lawclass. Today, as Moore & Van Allen’s Managing Member, the fruit bornof that seed is exceedingly evident. In addition to the firm’s ongoing andmounting business, legal and community successes, Tom’s leadershipand commitment to inclusion resulted in the firm earning a 100 percentrating in the Human Rights Campaign’s 2018 Corporate Equality Index.This celebrated and prestigious achievement honors the firm’s unwaveringefforts to ensure workplace equality in all forms. Tom recognizes that lastingchange takes time, but each ongoing initiative helps the industry get onestep closer to a new era in legal equality.

SHINING A LIGHTon Career Opportunities in Law“If my daughter somedayaspires to be a managingpartner, then I want her pathto achieving that goal to bedetermined exclusively bymerit. The legal industry hasa long way to go to correctits demographic deficiencies,but I firmly believe that thecommitment and efforts offirms like MVA will result insignificant, positive change inthe next decade.”— Luis LluberasBankruptcy Member,Hiring Member andLawyers of Color ChairLuis Lluberas was born in Virginia, though he lived in Panama, PuertoRico and New Jersey all before age seven. Luis’s personal andprofessional perspectives have been molded by his Puerto Ricanheritage, and by his parents’ admirable work ethic and careerambitions. Luis, a member of Moore & Van Allen’s Bankruptcy &Financial Restructuring team, member of the firm’s Diversity andAttorney Development Committees, chair of the firm’s Lawyers of Colorgroup, and one of three firm hiring members, has certainly leveraged hislife experiences and followed in his parents’ footsteps to make a namefor himself. He considers lack of exposure and awareness of careeroptions to be one of the greatest obstacles for minorities in law, thus hasbecome fully invested in efforts like the firm’s Diversity Scholars, whichshines a light on a myriad of legal career opportunities – not just thoserepresented on television.LUIS LLUBERASBANKRUPTCY MEMBER, HIRING MEMBER ANDLAWYERS OF COLOR CHAIR5

KATE COLEINTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MEMBER ANDWOMEN OF MOORE & VAN ALLEN CO-CHAIRLEVELING THE PLAYING FIELDthrough WoMVA“The legal industry has seensignificant progress towarddiversity and inclusion in recentyears, and I am particularlyproud of the diversity efforts atMoore & Van Allen. WoMVAprograms such as the biennialWoMVA Retreat, quarterlyluncheons, and women clientevents place a priority onenhancing the sophisticatedlegal portfolios of our femaleattorneys and preparesmembers for success as theybuild and lead successful legalcareers.”6— Kate ColeIntellectual Property Member andWomen of Moore & Van AllenCo-ChairKate Cole grew up working with her parents and brothers on theirfamily’s apple farm in York, South Carolina. Now a member on Moore& Van Allen’s Intellectual Property team, Kate often relies on this smallbusiness perspective as she protects clients’ IP rights and seeks to findcreative solutions to complex business and legal dilemmas. While IP hashistorically been a male-dominated industry, Kate feels that throughouther career, she has always received the same opportunities as her malecounterparts. Kate realizes her experiences may be atypical, and worksto ensure other women and underrepresented populations have thesame level playing field. She currently co-chairs the Women of Moore& Van Allen (WoMVA) affinity group, which is dedicated to advancingwomen in law. Kate’s efforts to cultivate a culture of opportunity forwomen have helped the firm to exceed national averages in femalerepresentation. She seeks to empower women to play an integral role infirm culture and leadership.

CAROLINE HUBBELL YINGLINGGENERAL COUNSELVALUING OTHERS’Experiences and Perspectives“The advice I would give to myyounger self and to the womenaround me: Be patient withyourself and others. Rememberthat most difficult things aretemporary. Don’t be afraid totry new things. Define successby your own life goals, not bythe goals or expectations ofothers.”— Caroline Hubbell YinglingGeneral CounselCaroline Hubbell Yingling grew up believing that all attorneys werelike the To Kill a Mockingbird character, Atticus Finch. Caroline took toheart that she should try to understand others’ perspectives throughthe lens of their life experiences. She wanted to be a lawyer like Finchfrom a young age, and today, Caroline serves as Moore & Van Allen’sGeneral Counsel. Caroline tries to ensure that perspectives and opinionsfrom all areas of the firm are sought and valued. Caroline’s mentorsat the firm encouraged her to be more vocal in firm leadership, andshe encourages other women to do the same. Caroline believesthat opportunities lie in the ideas we don’t hear, the perspectives wedon’t see, and the thoughts we don’t yet know – and that without adiverse culture, these ideas, perspectives and thoughts will be missedopportunities.7

JOE FERNANDEZCORPORATE TEAM LEADER ANDMANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERSTRENGTHENING TEAMSand Communities Through Lawyers of Color8“Our team is stronger when arange of different personalitiesand backgrounds arerepresented. You can’t havea team that’s comprised ofidentical people. If we had ateam of lawyers just like me,we wouldn’t get very far. Weneed workhorses and creativethinkers and thoughtful peoplein order to provide clients withbest-in-class service. We needa balance.”Joe Fernandez grew up as an Army brat on military bases and in military— Joe FernandezCorporate Team Leaderand Management CommitteeMemberanything helping people to form community beyond their own practicecommunities, and therefore was raised with a military mindset–thatopportunities are available to all and that promotion is based on merit.It was not until he went to college that Joe really became aware of thecultural, societal and racial roadblocks that stand in the way of equalopportunity and advancement. Now, as Moore & Van Allen’s Corporateteam leader and a Management Committee member, Joe fully recognizesthat there is a fundamental fairness issue across many industries, and heis committed to intentional, thoughtful action that will drive change. Joeplaces great emphasis on the value of team diversity and is an involvedmember of the firm’s Lawyers of Color affinity group, as he believes thatgroup is beneficial. He is proud of the firm’s groundbreaking diversityinitiatives, which expose attorneys, recruits, clients and law students to thevalue of true inclusion.

CREATING OPPORTUNITYand Building Community Across Difference“Being a minority within a majoritylaw firm can be isolating. We areaddressing that issue head-onthrough our vibrant affinity groups(Lawyers of Color and WoMVA),innovative recruiting programs,and our Diversity Conferenceand Diversity Scholars Programs.Through these initiatives, we arediversifying our attorney ranksand building community acrossdifference — two cornerstones ofour firm’s long term strategy.”— Valecia McDowellLitigation Member,Management Committee Member,and Diversity Committee Co-ChairValecia McDowell’s childhood experiences in a tight-knit, blue collarfamily shaped her commitment to give people from all walks of lifethe opportunity to achieve. To that end, she challenges those aroundher – clients included – to confront unconscious bias in the workplaceand treat everyone with respect. As Co-Chair of the firm’s DiversityCommittee and a member of the Management Committee, Valeciademonstrates her commitment to opportunity in the firm’s talentacquisition, strategic execution and succession planning efforts.Equally important is Valecia’s dedication to building community at MVAfor all of our attorneys and staff, regardless of their backgrounds. Herfamily didn’t work in fancy buildings or practice law, but they taught herthat community is built on mutual trust, even in the face of difference.She relies on that lesson every day at MVA and beyond.VALECIA MCDOWELLLITIGATION MEMBER,MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBER, ANDDIVERSITY COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR9