On January 1, Ben Wilson will officially conclude his tenure as chairman of Beveridge & Diamond and retire from the firm.

As first reported by Bloomberg Law, Wilson, affectionately regarded as the dean of Black partners at major law firms, announced his retirement this fall after 45 years in legal practice, 35 of those years with the firm.

Wilson became chairman of the Washington, D.C.-based Beveridge & Diamond in 2017, 31 years after entering the firm as its first Black partner. But his impact stretches far beyond his firm. Over the years, the Harvard Law graduate has mentored generations of Black and other diverse law firm partners, general counsel and law students across the country, becoming known to many as a teacher, a coach and a friend.

In 2008, founded the Diverse Partners Network, which he’ll continue to lead after retirement, renamed as the Diverse Lawyers Network. He is also the founder of the African American Managing Partners Network, a tight-knit network of African American leaders of major law firms, and the African American General Counsel Network.

Lisa Helem, Bloomberg Law’s Executive Editor for Strategic Initiatives, spoke with Wilson about law firm leadership, his formative years growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, his work to improve diversity in the legal profession and his legacy.

We present that conversation here as a special episode of our award-winning “Black Lawyers Speak” series, hosted on UnCommon Law.