Women in the Profession Program Launches First U.S. Chapter in Miami

Panelists at the WIP Miami chapter launch, Miami Beach, March 13, 2024. Photo credit: Vance Center

The morning featured a panel discussion, “The Impact of General Counsels within Organizations and Law Firms on Diversity and Women’s Empowerment,” moderated by Fradyn Suárez, partner at law firm King & Spalding and a member of the inaugural WIP Miami Steering Committee.  

The panelists – Mariana Seixas, Senior Counsel at SoftBank Investment Advisers; Lin Cherry, Chief Talent Experience Officer at Wizeline; and Rosalía Roman Urcuyo, Chief Counsel of Non-Sovereign Operations, Legal Affairs at the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) – held a wide-ranging conversation on topics including the salary gap, the importance of creating a culture of mentorship for and among women lawyers at all stages of their careers, and the use of artificial intelligence tools for billing. 

WIP International Steering Committee member Patricia Menéndez-Cambo kicked off the morning with an introduction, and Linda Clark, partner at law firm Morrison & Foerster, provided closing remarks. 

WIP International Steering Committee member Patricia Menéndez-Cambo, panelists and the Vance Center’s Karina Benzaquen at the WIP Miami launch event, March 13, 2024. Photo credit: Vance Center

Representatives of nearly a dozen other WIP chapters attended the event and expressed excitement about strengthening connections between chapters and collaborating with the new members in Miami. 

“The launch of WIP Miami is a timely initiative, as Miami is a strategic sector for the legal industry, and home to the headquarters of both multinational companies and key law firms that have significant impact on business in Latin America and around the world,” said Tatiana Rojas, president of WIP Costa Rica.  

“This new chapter truly reflects how mentorship can occur in multiple ways – between those of us who are part of WIP in different countries, and in transmitting a message of a culture of sisterhood in the legal community to new generations and communities of legal professionals around the world. This is a moment to celebrate and share our accomplishments. Together, we will continue growing and supporting all of those who are still to come.” 

The Miami chapter is the first U.S.-based chapter for the Women in the Profession (WIP) program. WIP, a flagship program of the Vance Center for more than 15 years, promotes the advancement of women in the legal profession with an emphasis on leadership and professional development, and uses the practice of law to enhance the status of women in general and ensure women equal protection under the law.  

WIP has hundreds of active members in 19 chapters across Latin America, four in sub-Saharan Africa, and now South Florida.

Sponsoring law firms Morrison & Foerster, Aguilar Castillo Love, and King & Spalding generously provided support for this event. 

See more photos from the Miami chapter launch here.

Attendees at the WIP Miami launch event, March 13, 2024. Photo credit: Vance Center

Boletín WIP

Following the panel, the Vance Center’s Senior Manager of International Diversity and Pro Bono Programs Karina Benzaquen and Dr. Daniela Irigoyen Samaniego, partner at Lexvalor Abogados and a member of WIP Ecuador, announced the launch of the Boletín WIP (WIP Bulletin). This quarterly publication features academic articles, researched opinion pieces, personal perspectives, and updates from members of WIP chapters in seven countries across Latin America. 

The first edition, focused on equality and equity for women across the legal profession, is available in Spanish here.