Phyllis Golden Morey, shareholder and chief diversity officer for the law firm Brooks Kushman, was recently honored at a luncheon celebrating the “2010 Women in the Law.” The event, which was hosted by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and held at the Marriott in Troy, paid tribute to 20 area female lawyers who are making waves with their energy, ideas, achievements and commitment to excellence.
“We’re thrilled that Phyllis was honored for her contributions to the legal community,” said Mark A. Cantor, president, Brooks Kushman. “Her dedication to furthering diversity efforts at both a local and national level makes Phyllis the ideal role model for aspiring and established professionals. We’re proud of Phyllis and will continue to support her efforts to further positive social change in our profession.”
Morey heads Brooks Kushman’s Commercial Litigation and Compliance practice groups, where she counsels and represents clients in patent, copyright and trademark infringement cases, as well as in commercial litigation matters. Morey also serves as the firm’s CDO, responsible for recruiting, retaining and mentoring minority attorneys, as well as fostering alliances and networks with minority organizations and liaising with clients on diversity issues.
Diversity efforts are especially essential in the area of intellectual property (IP) law, as there are certain hiring prerequisites, such as the technical or science degree required for patent attorneys, that make the potential employee pool significantly smaller than for general attorneys. As a result, outreach programs are critical to identifying and hiring diverse law clerks and attorneys for this area of the legal profession.
Morey has more than 20 years of in-house litigation experience representing clients, such as Ford Motor Co., Lear Corp. and Ameritech Corp. In this role, she managed commercial, IP and other significant complex litigation cases and represented business units and divisions in all aspects of the cases. She also has vast experience in defending corporations in commercial, product liability, insurance coverage and employment disputes while in private practice.
“It’s a great honor to be celebrated among such remarkable women,” Morey said. “As strong females in the legal community, we need to stand together as positive role models for our aspiring legal professionals. The ‘Women in the Law’ event is a great platform to highlight some of the accomplished, female legal professionals our local community has fostered.”
Morey earned her juris doctor degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville, Tenn. and her bachelor’s degree from Memphis State University in Tennessee. After law school, she served as a judicial law clerk to judges on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court in Memphis, Tenn.
She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association and is admitted to practice before the 6th Circuit and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Active in her local community, Morey currently serves as a board member for the Music Hall of Detroit and Black Family Development. She previously served on the board of directors for a variety of community organizations, including the Children’s Home of Detroit, Junior League of Detroit, Neighborhood Services Organization and Southwest Detroit Community Mental Health.
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