DEI Newsletter - Winter 2025

Shipman is committed to being a workplace that strives for inclusive excellence.  We feel that this commitment is best achieved when we embrace and value a variety of backgrounds and personalities as well as celebrate different beliefs and vantage points.

We continuously strive to be an organization free of discrimination and harassment as we aim to maintain a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace to positively impact our communities.  We invite you to read a summary of these efforts and accomplishments below.

Achievements and Recognition

In 2024, Shipman & Goodwin achieved Mansfield Certification Plus for a fifth consecutive year. Additionally, Shipman was named as one of Diversity Lab's “Early Adopters,” a designation for firms that have achieved certification and remained committed for 5-6 years.

Diversity Lab announced that over 360 law firms earned Mansfield Certification for the 2023-24 period, marking a 13% increase from the nearly 320 firms certified the previous year. Mansfield Certification measures the structural changes and steps we have taken over the past year to ensure our paths to leadership are open and transparent to all qualified lawyers. The “Plus” designation indicates that we’ve not only taken steps to increase inclusivity in leadership, but we’ve also made measured progress in doing so. Mansfield’s processes seek to ensure equal opportunity and access to leadership roles. The firm is currently participating in the July 2024 to July 2025 Mansfield Certification process.

Jaime Welsh

Katilee Boisvert

Sarah Gleason

We congratulate Jaime Welsh, Katilee Boisvert and Sarah Gleason on their promotions which became effective on January 1, 2025. Jaime was promoted to Partner, and Katilee and Sarah were promoted to Counsel. All three lawyers demonstrate leadership and a commitment to advancing diversity in the legal profession.

Jaime maintains an active pro bono practice through Shipman’s partnerships with GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), Lawyers for Children America, and the Center for Children’s Advocacy. Jaime has volunteered at several of the Transgender ID clinics, a series of free name/gender ID legal clinics organized by GLAD and open to all members of the transgender community in Connecticut.

Katilee previously served on the Community Renewal Team’s Women’s Empowerment Committee, and shares her experiences generously with other young people. In the fall of 2024, she participated on a leadership panel with other alumni for Western New England University School of Law’s 1st Annual L.E.A.D. Summit. Panelists, including Katiliee, shared insights from their career paths and leadership journeys, contributing to the summit’s goal of inspiring and equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed to become impactful leaders in the legal field and beyond.

Sarah, who was an elementary school teacher prior to receiving her J.D., is the current president of the Connecticut Council of School Attorneys and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Fairfield County Bar Association. She also serves on the Board for The Rowan Center, an organization that counsels and advocates for victims and survivors of sexual violence, and educates communities on preventing such violence.

Katie LaManna and Marie Pollio

Katie LaManna and Marie Pollio were both named to Lawdragon’s 2024 list of "500 Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers.” Lawdragon’s annual list recognizes “lawyers who can make all the difference for a business, debtor or creditor and have done so time and time again. They reflect the move away from the more extreme boom and bust cycles of bankruptcy practice to a more sustained reality of leverage as a financial tool – wanted or not – throughout economic cycles in a global economy.” 38 percent of the 500 named lawyers are women. Katie and Marie are two of only five lawyers in Connecticut to receive this distinction, and they are the only women named in Connecticut.

Leander Dolphin

Leander Dolphin, Shipman's Managing Partner, joined the International Women’s Forum of Connecticut (IWFCT), an invitation-only membership organization that is part of a network of 74 affiliates of the International Women’s Forum and comprised of accomplished women leaders worldwide.

Additionally, last July, Leander was named to Savoy Magazine’s List of “2024 Most Influential Lawyers.” Savoy’s list, first published in 2018, recognizes the "best of the best" of Black lawyers with distinguished legal careers and outstanding commitment to their community and includes partners at leading national law firms, and corporate and general counsel from Fortune 1000 corporations. Savoy's listing represents an influential cross section of legal professionals showcasing a diverse range of expertise with national and global responsibilities.

Natalia Sieira Millán

Natalia Sieira Millán was named to the Hartford Business Journal’s 2024 40 Under Forty list. Natalia was recognized as an outstanding young professional in the greater Hartford area for her work as a lawyer in Shipman’s school law practice representing local and regional boards of education and charter schools in all areas of school law, including freedom of information hearings, policy development, student disciplinary matters, personnel issues and collective bargaining. Natalia also serves on Shipman’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Committee and we are delighted to see her recognized for all of her contributions, both on behalf of our clients and in our larger community.

Ian Leon

Associate Ian Leon was elected in June to serve a two-year term on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association (CHBA). Ian is also a Board Member of CREW CT and Chair of CREW’s DEI&B Committee. Most recently, Ian was appointed as Deputy Governor of Region I of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), and Region I Division Representative of the HNBA Young Lawyers Division.

Last October, Ian participated as a panelist at his Alma Mater, Quinnipiac University School of Law's "Transition to Practice" event, where he shared valuable insights and best practices to help law students navigate their transition into the legal profession. Most recently, he assisted with the planning for the HNBA event entitled “Leveraging Latinidad In-House,” which was held at Shipman’s Hartford office on January 30, 2025. Leveraging Latinidad provided networking opportunities for lawyers from both in-house and private practice settings followed by a panel discussion focusing on the transition into in-house counsel. Ian co-moderated the panel along with Natalie Gallego of Greenberg Traurig LLP. This event was co-sponsored by the HNBA Region 1, HNBA Young Lawyers’ Division and Shipman. 

Cultivating Diversity

Pride Month - June

Shipman’s DE&I Committee hosted Rosa Kleneski, Board Member at The Health Collective (formerly known as the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective), for an informative discussion about cultural competency and do’s/don’ts related to LGBTQ+ inclusion. 

As a health center and champion of LGBTQIA+ equity, The Health Collective promotes healthy living, provides high-quality and compassionate care and advocates for systemic solutions to the healthcare access barriers and health disparities.  Shipman regularly supports The Health Collective by sponsoring their annual One Big Event fundraiser in November.

RiseUp Downtown Hartford Walking Tour - September

Shipman attorneys and staff joined Matt Conway, Executive Director of The RiseUP Group, Inc., for a downtown Hartford walking tour. As they explored the city, they were introduced to several murals and other public art projects, even meeting some of the talented artists along the way. A big thank you to Shipman’s DE&I Committee and Well-Being Committee for hosting such a fun and informative event!

Emily Lugo

Matt Gibbons

National Veterans and Military Families Month - November

In honor of National Veterans and Military Families Month, the DE&I Committee sponsored a virtual discussion with Emily Lugo, Outreach Coordinator for UConn’s Office of Veterans and Military Programs and a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran. Emily discussed her involvement in the Veterans History Project, a nationwide project of the American Folklife Center in the Library of Congress to collect, preserve, and make accessible the personal account of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. Associate Matt Gibbons then shared some of his dramatic and moving experiences as a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

GLAD Transgender ID Clinics

For the second year in a row, Shipman has partnered with GLAD's CT Transgender ID Project to offer a series of free name/gender ID legal clinics open to all members of the transgender community in Connecticut. Shipman lawyers volunteer their time and expertise in partnership with the Metropolitan Community Church of Hartford (where clinics are usually hosted) and GLAD, providing free legal advice for individuals looking to change their name and/or gender marker on state and federal identity documents. Clinics were held in June and October of 2024, and the latest clinic took place on January 11, 2025. 

Sponsorships and Events

Rauchell Beckford-Anderson and Dan Schwartz, pictured with Operation Fuel CEO Perkin Simpson, attended the Aurora Women and Girls Foundation’s 2024 Luminary Celebration at The Bushnell. Shipman was honored to be a sponsor of the inspiring event. In April of 2024, Rauchell was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for Aurora, a West Hartford-based non-profit with twenty-four years of gender focused research and grantmaking aimed at expanding college and career opportunities for women and girls.

Alfredo Fernández

Alfredo Fernández, Partner and Chair of Shipman's DE&I Committee, was a panelist at the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity (LCD) Affinity Student Group & Bar Association Summit at Quinnipiac University School of Law, in November. Law students heard from leaders in the legal community about their journeys and the organizations that have made a difference along the way.

In September, Shipman had the pleasure of hosting and sponsoring the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association at its Hartford office. It was a lovely evening filled with networking opportunities and meaningful conversations.

The DE&I Committee hosted a cooking class at Forge City Works with the Summer Associates and our 2024 LCD Intern last July. Participants learned how to make meals using local ingredients and competed in small groups to make the tastiest dishes. Shipman has proudly supported Forge City Works, which serves people in the Hartford community who have barriers to employment by providing job training in the food and hospitality industry to help them achieve sustainable careers, for several years.

Shipman participated in the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s 2024 Lavender Law® Conference and Career Fair in Washington, D.C.  Lavender Law is designed to achieve a sense of community and inclusion for LGBTQ+ candidates within the legal profession’s recruiting efforts. By participating in the fair, candidates can talk directly with LGBTQ+ inclusive recruiters from law firms, government agencies, LGBTQ+ rights groups and corporate legal departments. 

Shipman was proud to sponsor the South Asian Bar Association of Connecticut’s (SABAC) 17th Annual Awards Gala. Cheryl Clemens, Colby Fraschilla, Tom Owen and Ramya Rajesh were on hand to celebrate the outstanding organizations and attorneys dedicated to serving the South Asian community and promoting diversity.

Shipman was proud to sponsor the Women's Business Development Council's Women Rising 2024 Gala and Awards Celebration at the Greenwich Hyatt. Leander A. Dolphin served as an Honorary Vice Chair for this year's gala. It was a wonderful event and honored a number of remarkable individuals for their achievements on behalf of igniting ideas and empowering women.

 Mentoring and Pipeline Initiatives

CBA LAW Camp

The Connecticut Bar Association hosted its 2024 LAW Camp in New Haven, bringing together 36 Connecticut high school students. This dynamic program introduces high school students to the legal profession and helps them develop critical and analytical thinking skills to help them succeed in their educational and professional careers.Shipman was thrilled to support this initiative by hosting several students over three days in our New Haven office. Associates Sara Bonaiuto, Scarlett Lara-Alcantara and Ian Leon joined the students for exercises and discussions in preparation for the camp’s culminating mock trial competition.

LCD Mentor Program Kickoff Dinner

Last fall, Shipman hosted LCD's 2024-2025 Mentor Program Kickoff Dinner at its Hartford office. It was a wonderful evening of connection and camaraderie. Mentors and mentees had the opportunity to meet their matches, engage in meaningful conversations, and explore the significance of mentoring. Together, they learned valuable insights on building and sustaining successful mentoring relationships.

Morgan Rueckert

CBA Mock Trial Competition

Morgan Rueckert volunteered his time to coach a mock trial team from Hartford Public Schools as they prepared for a statewide competition. The team presented their case, put together by the Connecticut Bar Association, in a Hartford Superior Courtroom. The students’ efforts were featured in a local WTNH Channel 8 news story segment of “What’s Right With Schools.”

Contact Us:

To learn more about our commitment to diversity and our diversity initiatives, please contact our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair, Alfredo G. Fernández at (860) 251-5353 or afernandez@goodwin.com.