Davis Wright Tremaine Names First Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Davis Wright Tremaine today announced it has named Yusuf Zakir as its first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Zakir will report directly to the managing partner and will work closely with leadership across the firm to build and strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion programs for lawyers and staff, a priority in the firm’s strategic plan.

“As a child of immigrants and a first-generation lawyer, Yusuf’s commitment to diversity and inclusion became a necessity as he built his career,” said the firm’s managing partner, Jeff Gray. “It has powerfully informed how he ultimately became a champion and leader for diversity and inclusion in the legal industry, and we are excited to welcome him to our team.”

Zakir most recently was director of diversity at Holland & Knight. Previously, he served as the manager of global diversity, recruiting and engagement at Latham & Watkins. Before his leadership roles for diversity and inclusion, he was a litigator at Latham and served as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Virginia A. Phillips at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

“After practicing law for several years and witnessing the challenges of diversity and inclusion in our profession firsthand, I decided to make this my life’s work,” said Zakir. “Since then, I have witnessed how diverse and inclusive organizations and teams perform better in every way.”

“While our commitment to diversity and inclusion is strong across the firm, we, like many in our profession, are not yet where we want or need to be in terms of supporting historically under-represented lawyers and staff,” said Sarah Tune, chair of the firm’s executive committee. “We are committed to effecting lasting change and we believe Yusuf’s leadership and perspective will help us do that by working within the firm and directly with our clients.”

Zakir earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto and his law degree at Loyola Law School.

About Davis Wright Tremaine

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is a national law firm with more than 550 lawyers representing clients based throughout the United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.dwt.com.