
Powered by LawFuel – Chicago, New York – Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that it has named María D. Meléndez its new chief diversity officer. She will replace Sally Olson who has served as chief diversity officer at Sidley since 2011 and will be retiring from the firm May 1, 2020.
Previously a partner in Sidley’s Commercial Litigation and Disputes practice, María has more than 25 years of experience in the litigation and arbitration of a broad range of high-stakes commercial disputes. From 2017 through 2019, Maria was named one of the “Top 250 Women in Litigation” by Benchmark Litigation. She served as a member of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, including as New York chair from 2002 to 2016. Additionally, she was a member of the Recruiting of Associates Committee and the New York co-chair of the Summer Associate Program Committee. As chief diversity officer, María will devote all of her time to leading the firm’s efforts to further advance and increase diversity and inclusion at the firm and beyond.
“I am honored to have been chosen to lead Sidley’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, and to continue the firm’s great work in advancing diversity and inclusion at our firm and in the legal profession,” said Ms. Meléndez. “My many years of practice at Sidley have been very rewarding, and I will forever be grateful for the wonderful opportunities to work with extraordinary clients around the world on so many interesting matters. As I pivot to this new role, I am very excited to have the opportunity to continue to work with my Sidley colleagues, clients, and other stakeholders to strengthen and further advance our diversity efforts as we recruit, hire, develop and promote exceptionally talented lawyers from all backgrounds around the globe.”
María’s commitment to diversity and inclusion extends well beyond her work at Sidley. She is chair of the board of directors of LatinoJustice PRLDEF, a national civil rights organization using the power of the law, advocacy and education to advance and protect the rights of Latinos in the U.S. She also serves as the firm’s representative to Her Justice, a provider of legal services on matters of domestic abuse and child custody to disadvantaged women in New York. María is a recipient of the Puerto Rican Bar Association’s Flor de Maga award that is given to trailblazing women who have demonstrated leadership skills in their fields of expertise, who have been models to other women and girls, and who have advocated for a more equitable society.
“Under Sally’s leadership, we have experienced a measurable, sustained increase in the diversity of our partnership and firm overall, and a strengthening of our inclusive culture,” said Mike Schmidtberger, chair of Sidley’s Executive Committee. “We sincerely thank Sally for her tireless work and are confident that María has the passion, vision and resolve to propel our efforts further forward. María is widely respected and known in the legal profession as a diversity and inclusion champion and we are delighted she chose to set aside her active legal practice to accept this important role.”
With 2,000 lawyers in 20 offices around the globe, Sidley is a premier legal adviser for clients across the spectrum of industries. Follow Sidley on Twitter @SidleyLaw.
Attorney Advertising – Sidley Austin LLP, One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, +1 312 853 7000. Sidley and Sidley Austin refer to Sidley Austin LLP and affiliated partnerships as explained at www.sidley.com/disclaimer.
Recent US Law News on LawFuel
- Google’s $425 Million Trial Loss And Cooley’s Surprise Starring RoleThe Lawyers Who Took Google’s Billing Bonanza Tom Borman, LawFuel contributing editor Google has been whacked with a $425… Read more: Google’s $425 Million Trial Loss And Cooley’s Surprise Starring Role
- The Legal Aftermath of the Texas Grid Failures: New Laws and Consumer LawsuitsLawFuel Power Briefs: GoRhythm.com – Rhythm is a renewable energy and technology company empowering to take control of budget… Read more: The Legal Aftermath of the Texas Grid Failures: New Laws and Consumer Lawsuits
- Who Is Abbe Lowell – The Tough Washington Litigator Handling Trump Targets?The Abbe Lowell Effect Tom Borman, LawFuel contributing writer Abbe Lowell has always thrived on crisis. A Columbia Law… Read more: Who Is Abbe Lowell – The Tough Washington Litigator Handling Trump Targets?
- Gerry Spence: The Fringed Buckskin Legend Who Redefined American Trial LawThe Spectacular Trial Successes of Gerry Spence John Bowie, LawFuel publisher I met Gerry Spence, who died earlier this… Read more: Gerry Spence: The Fringed Buckskin Legend Who Redefined American Trial Law
- Why Are Top Lawyers Charging $3,000 Per Hour?How Top Legal Rates Are Reshaping the Legal Market in 2025 Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor The legal profession… Read more: Why Are Top Lawyers Charging $3,000 Per Hour?
- A&O Shearman’s First Results: Big, Loud, and Not Quite Magic Circle RoyaltyA&O Shearman has unveiled its first set of financials since creating the world’s largest Anglo-American law firm — and for a stitched-together giant still working out how to share the same stationery, the numbers are healthy and partner pay too. Revenue hit £2.9 billion (US$3.7 billion) with pretax profit of £1.1 billion (US$1.4 billion). Average profit per equity partner landed at £2 million (US$2.6 million)
- Florida’s Shifting Legal Landscape: The Impact of Eliminating Damage Caps on Nursing Home LitigationLawFuel Power Brief: MSW Law Group, Florida Photo by Jsme MILA on Pexels Florida has one of the largest and… Read more: Florida’s Shifting Legal Landscape: The Impact of Eliminating Damage Caps on Nursing Home Litigation
- Law School Admission Council Hit With $30M ‘Pay-to-Play’ LawsuitAbove the Law reports that LSAC—administrator of the LSAT and the centralized application platform—is being sued for allegedly running… Read more: Law School Admission Council Hit With $30M ‘Pay-to-Play’ Lawsuit