Overview
(February 2, 2023, Washington, DC) – Lawyers of Color has named Brigida Benitez, Luis Fortuño, Vishal Gupta and Gwendolyn Renigar in their Law Firm Leaders Issue 2022. The Law Firm Leaders Issue honors minority law firm attorneys who are managing partners, executive committee members, and practice group chairs. Lawyers of Color is a nonprofit devoted to promoting diversity in the legal profession and advancing democracy and equality in marginalized communities. In addition to producing events, conferences, and publications including Power Issue, Caucus Issue, Hot List, and Legal Diversity Issue, they collaborate with media organizations to publish reports and studies like Why Black Lawyers Matter.
Benitez focuses on complex civil litigation, internal investigations, and global anti-corruption issues. She has represented a wide range of clients, including financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, universities, international development firms, and individuals, as well as boards of directors and special litigation committees of public company boards. In addition to representing clients in investigations and litigation, she serves as Steptoe's General Counsel.
Fortuño represents investment funds and Fortune 500 companies in regulatory, public policy, public-private partnership (P3) and project finance, finance, and other corporate matters in the United States and throughout Latin America. Clients benefit from Luis’s ability to combine practical, business-savvy advice with an understanding of how legislative and regulatory policy can affect their business operations. His 12 years of government service includes serving as Puerto Rico's governor and as its sole representative in the US House of Representatives.
Gupta is the co-chair of Steptoe's Life Sciences Practice. He focuses on complex patent litigation, IP transactions and strategic counseling in a wide range of technologies including small molecule pharmaceuticals, biologics and medical devices. Vishal is a seasoned Hatch-Waxman and biologics patent litigator who has served as lead counsel before district courts, the PTAB and the Federal Circuit. His cases have involved blockbuster treatments for various cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, opioid addiction, cosmetics and ophthalmic conditions.
Steptoe Chair, Gwen Renigar, represents law firms, lawyers, professionals, fiduciaries, healthcare industry participants, financial services providers, and retirement plan clients in complex litigation and class actions raising breach of fiduciary duty, commercial contract, malpractice, and professional liability claims. She has also represented women, children, and victims of violence seeking visa or asylum relief in the United States through her pro bono efforts.
Read the full list of leaders at Lawyers of Color.
About Steptoe
In more than 100 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
