Womble Carlyle Names New Leaders for Diversity, Pro Bono, Women of Womble Committees

The New Year brings new leadership, as three key Womble Carlyle committees have new Chairs for 2016.

• Kevin Lyn now serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee (with Keith Mendelson). Lyn previously served as Diversity Committee Vice Chair. He has led the firm’s engagement with several national diversity organizations and signature events, including the Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s (MCCA) General Counsel Summit and National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)’s Annual Convention.
• Mark Desgrosseilliers is the new Chair of Womble Carlyle’s Pro Bono Committee. Desgrosseilliers received the firm’s 2015 Irving Carlyle Pro Bono Publico award for his representation of foster children in the custody of the State of Delaware and domestic violence victims seeking protection from abuse.  He also has devoted numerous hours to veterans’ matters, including representing veterans in disputes with the Veterans Administration and advising an organization dedicated to helping veterans find careers after their times in the service of our nation have concluded.
• Cathy Hinger will now lead the firm’s Women of Womble leadership initiative. Hinger has organized and participated in a number of efforts aimed at professional development and networking for women. For example, she helped host the Professional Women in Advocacy Conference’s 12-week fundraising course. She is an active member of Women in Technology and is a member of WIT’s Leadership Foundry, whose mission is to improve opportunities for women to serve on corporate boards.  Hinger also led the firm’s sponsorship of author Susan Blakely’s latest publication in a series of books aimed at improving the success of women lawyers in firms. 

Lyn, Desgrosseilliers and Hinger replace Brent Clinkscale, Mike Ray and Ellen Gregg and respectively.

Under Clinkscale’s leadership, Womble Carlyle has forged relationships with such national organizations as MCCA, NAPABA, Corporate Counsel Women of Color (CCWC) and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Under another Diversity Committee initiative led by Clinkscale and the Diversity Committee, each year, deserving diverse law students are given scholarships and mentoring through the Womble Carlyle Scholars program—and a number of former Womble Carlyle Scholars now practice as attorneys at the firm.

Ray has been a long-time champion for pro bono at Womble Carlyle, having served as our Firm Pro Bono partner and Chair of the Pro Bono Board.  Currently, the firm has pro bono projects aiding disabled veterans, aspiring business owners, low-income homeowners and many more. Ray also guided the firm in receiving the 2013 Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation Award. The firm was the lone North American winner of this prestigious international honor.

Gregg’s advocacy for diversity and women’s issues at the firm is well-established. In December 2015, Womble Carlyle was named a Gold Standard Law Firm by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) for integrating women into the highest levels of firm leadership.  The Women of Womble initiative, which Gregg helped establish in 2006, has helped women lawyers advance within the firm and in the profession.

“Those three leaders leave a tremendous legacy, and in Kevin, Mark and Cathy, I believe we have found three outstanding new leaders ready to step into those roles,” said Womble Carlyle Chair & CEO Betty Temple.

Kevin Lyn is an experienced Intellectual Property attorney who helps clients prepare, prosecute and commercialize patents. He has counseled clients on matters related to mechanical, electrical, electromechanical, business method, software and Internet-related technologies. Lyn practices in Womble Carlyle’s Raleigh, N.C. office.

Mark Desgrosseilliers is a veteran business attorney focusing his practice in the areas of Bankruptcy and Corporate Restructuring. His clients benefit from his wide-ranging industry experience representing public and non-public debtor corporations, debtor-in-possession lenders, secured and unsecured creditors, vendors and asset purchasers in bankruptcy and other corporate restructuring matters. Desgrosseilliers practices in Womble Carlyle’s Wilmington, Del. office.

Cathy Hinger represents companies in business disputes involving residential and commercial real estate development projects, commercial leasing, multifamily housing, airport retail and concession development, employment discrimination, commercial contracts, business fraud, manufacturing, distribution and franchise, supply chain interruption and gaming regulation. Hinger also has defended clients charged with white collar crimes and has litigated cases involving premises liability, severe property damage, catastrophic injuries, aviation disasters and wrongful death. She practices in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.