B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes

Born in the UK, Claudius Sokenu was sent to boarding school in Nigeria, which shaped him in innumerable ways and prepared him to venture to the US alone to practice law. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, Claudius and Merle Vaughn discuss why he chose to leave his big firm equity partnership to go in-house.

Darrell Miller, LA Office Managing Partner for Fox Rothschild, is a singer, dancer, musician and lawyer who credits faith and work ethic for his success. As the first in his family to attend college, he found support from his school counselor, family and community. The reasoning behind his decision to become a lawyer and the path he took to get there is inspirational.

In this episode of BS: Beyond Stereotypes, Darrell shares with Merle Vaughn what it was like to be a working actor, his motivation for going to law school and how his new fame as the Hollywood meme #sendittodarrell explains his empathic style as an entertainment lawyer.

To the outside world, Jennifer Brewer, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer for Activision Blizzard, appears to have led a life of privilege but, in reality, the road to fighting for equity and justice has been paved with obstacles that have required grit and resilience to overcome. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, Jennifer shares with Merle Vaughn how she has handled adversity and why her current role allows her to be unapologetically herself.

Melique Jones, Chief People Officer for the Lincoln Center, grew up with her mother and grandmother in Harlem. From an early age, her family set the expectation that she would make a difference in the world. Despite falling in love with the arts and journalism during college, Melique chose to attend law school and has ultimately done more than she could have imagined with her JD. In this episode, Melique shares with Merle Vaughn her journey which started as a journalist, her DEI experience in big law, and how both prepared her for her current Lincoln Center position.

When Bob Major founded Major, Lindsey & Africa in 1982, he could not have envisioned what the organization would become and the impact it would have on the legal profession. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, Bob shares his extraordinary 40-year journey as one of the predominate influencers in the legal recruiting industry and how he did it as a proud openly gay man.

For Mark Zemelman, Kaiser Foundation’s recently retired GC, joining the legal department was a full circle experience—his father was one of the first physicians in the Southern California Permanente Medical Group, which is the KP medical group in Southern California. Mark shares with Merle Vaughn his self-directed career journey and how his cultural background has informed his unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion.

In this episode of BS: Beyond Stereotypes, Dipti Singh, GC of Planned Parenthood Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley, shares with Merle Vaughn how she developed a passion for human rights work while in law school. Dipti walks us down her unique career path, which began in big law and has culminated in her position as a public interest lawyer fighting for equality and reproductive rights.

In this episode of BS: Beyond Stereotypes, George Fatheree, real estate partner at Sidley in Los Angeles, speaks with Merle Vaughn about leading the Bruce’s Beach case, the first land reparations granted to a Black American family and describes how it felt to have everything he had worked for in his life come together. George chats with Merle Vaughn about his humble beginnings in Chino, California, and the importance of intentionality, professional excellence, and authenticity throughout in his career.

Eli Albrecht, M&A attorney at Gibson Dunn, has been embraced on LinkedIn globally after sharing his epiphany to be authentic about his Orthodox Jewish culture in a professional setting. In this episode, Eli and Merle Vaughn discuss how he balances his love for practicing law with his commitment to his beloved wife, kids and family farm.

John Haney is an associate at Holland & Knight in their renowned Indian Law practice. As a member of the Seminole Indian tribe, John Haney has remained connected with Native American communities throughout his educational and professional journeys. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, he shares with Merle Vaughn stories of his rich heritage, discusses the inner workings of tribal structures and shares his advice on specializing in tribal law.