A Conversation with Wendell Pierce in Honor of Juneteenth

June 20, 2022 | Webinar | Duane Morris LLP

The Duane Morris Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program hosted a webinar conversation with Wendell Pierce in honor of Juneteenth on Monday, June 20, 2022.

About the Program

Duane Morris Partner and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Joseph K. West will be joined by actor, activist and entrepreneur Wendell Pierce to discuss issues of concern to communities of color and Wendell’s recent entry into media ownership.

Opening Remarks

Matthew A. Taylor is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the firm and also serves on the firm's Executive Committee. He practices in the area of commercial litigation, handling matters in state and federal courts across the United States. Matt also represents corporate boards and individual corporate officers and directors in internal and government investigations and related proceedings. Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New York, Matt is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is a member of the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia bar associations and the International Association of Defense Counsel. He is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in general commercial litigation.

Moderator

Joseph K. West is a partner in the firm's Trial Practice Group and practices in the area of complex litigation. He is also a member of the firm’s Partners Board and serves as the firm’s Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer and as chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consulting Practice. In 2019, Joe was the recipient of the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award: Diversity & Equality from Chambers and Partners.

Speaker

Wendell Pierce is an American actor, best known for portraying Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire and trombonist Antoine Batiste in Treme. Wendell’s extensive television and film credits include roles in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Suits, Waiting to Exhale, Malcolm X, Ray and Selma. Pierce performed the lead role of Willy Loman in the 2019 production of Death of a Salesman on the West End in London at the Piccadilly Theatre. A New Orleans native, Wendell is known for his service to the city, focusing on efforts to rebuild Pontchartrain Park, the neighborhood he grew up in, after Hurricane Katrina. Pontchartrain Park Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit corporation he created to build 500 affordable and environmentally friendly homes, is committed to helping longtime residents come back to their neighborhood. His work was featured on CNN in the documentary film New Orleans Rising with Soledad O’Brien, and he has been a featured guest on CBS This Morning, NPR’s Talk of the Nation and Money Matters, as well as a host of other national media outlets. Wendell notably appeared in Spike Lee’s documentary When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, telling his family’s story of loss during Hurricane Katrina. His 2015 memoir, The Wind in the Reed, received rave reviews.

About the Duane Morris Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program

Duane Morris manages its diversity, equity and inclusion program with the objective of utilizing the best talent worldwide in solving legal problems. The firm recruits a diverse pool of lawyers and staff that collectively possess an awareness of cutting-edge 21st century issues—legal, social and economic—for which clients require solutions.