Daniel Dominguez
Partner & Vice Chair of the Diversity Leadership Committee
Latham & Watkins
Industry: Law
CEO: Richard Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner
Website: www.lw.com
Credentials: Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
As Global Vice Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Diversity Leadership Committee (DLC), I have spearheaded efforts to cultivate an environment in which you belong as you are. In 2023, Latham & Watkins:
- Implemented mechanisms to strengthen our culture of allyship, inclusion, and belonging, including building out additional infrastructure for our two newest affinity groups, our Disability & Neurodiversity Network and our US Military & Veterans Network.
- Recruited top legal talent representing a rich diversity of backgrounds. For example, in 2023, we welcomed one of our largest and most diverse summer associate classes — 55% female, 57% racial/ethnic minority, 15% LGBTQ+, and 44% first-generation professional — outpacing the top-100 US law schools’ five-year average for underrepresented racial/ethnic minority hires and first-generation professionals.
- Launched a pipeline program in collaboration with Yale Law School.
- Designed and delivered a new workshop specifically for our senior lawyers on leading inclusive teams and investing mentorship and sponsorship capital in a diverse group of junior lawyers.
- Partnered with over 60 clients to provide mentorship for second-year law students who have shown a demonstrated commitment to DEI.
From my perspective, a lack of transparency can create challenges, and so we strive to remove opaqueness about how decisions, both small and large, are made regarding firm business, including how advancement in the firm is determined. Continuing to shed light on our business processes plays a vital role in building an environment where all colleagues can thrive. In my own career journey, I knew I needed to do good work and develop within an organization that had a small town in a big city feel. I had the benefit of being surrounded by people who were clear about what the expectations of what that good work looked like, which made it easier to achieve. The firm is much larger now, so the question becomes how do we foster continued direct messaging and small town transparency on a bigger scale to maximize the development, retention, and prospects for progression for all of our associates.
