When it comes to DEI, Kelly Chen of Toyota is a person whose actions match her words. She says hiring diverse outside legal teams is important; she gives legal work to diverse teams. She values mentoring young diverse attorneys and law students because she didn’t have anyone to ask questions (“whether they looked like me or not”) when she was starting her career. She says the legal industry is full of people with smarts, advocacy and creativity to figure out how to move the needle forward despite a challenging DEI climate. And she doubles down to do her part to lead programs and collaborate with outside counsel on solutions.
The Lawbook chatted with the 2023 DFW Outstanding Corporate Counsel Award honoree about DEI challenges and best practices for outside counsel.
Texas Lawbook: What has been your best day working at Toyota?
Kelly Chen: The first day I received a call from a client, out of the blue, about an issue unrelated to anything I was currently working with them on. It meant that I had established a relationship with them and gained their trust.
Lawbook: What are the biggest challenges for accomplishing DEI objectives in today’s legal and political environments?
Chen: The most recent Supreme Court cases are definitely a challenge to DEI initiatives and making progress in our already challenging profession. But we’re also a profession known for our smarts, advocacy, and creativity, so I know that together we can continue to find ways to push the envelope and not lose momentum.
Lawbook: What are the factors you consider when deciding about hiring outside counsel?
Chen: It’s case by case, but for the most part savvy counsel that knows our business and the industry, that is willing to think outside of the box when needed (i.e., not use the same checklist for every case/client) and has a diverse team.
Lawbook: What does outside counsel need to know about you?
Chen: I’m very hands on with my cases, so open and clear communication is important.
Click here for the full profile of Kelly Chen.