Diane Cardona Downs serves as Chief Legal Talent Officer at Morrison Foerster, where she leads the firm’s strategy for attorney development and recruitment. As a member of the executive leadership team for the past eight years, Diane has been instrumental in designing and implementing initiatives that enhance the firm’s ability to attract, nurture, and advance exceptional legal professionals.

Under her leadership, Diane oversees the Attorney Learning & Development, Attorney Recruiting, and MoFo Next teams, ensuring their efforts align seamlessly with MoFo’s shared values and commitment to practice excellence. She leads the development of programs that provide attorneys, patent agents, analysts, and scientific specialists with the tools and guidance they need to thrive at all stages of their careers, including professional development, mentoring, and career planning. Diane also guides the Recruiting team in building and strengthening the firm’s practices with outstanding legal talent, managing a comprehensive screening and hiring process, and facilitating tailored orientation and integration plans for new attorneys. Her strategic vision and dedication to fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture have been integral to Morrison Foerster’s ongoing success in legal talent acquisition and development.

Diane joined Morrison Foerster in 2016, bringing with her nearly two decades of experience in legal talent management across a variety of roles. Her extensive background in the field informs her approach to innovative talent strategies, ensuring the firm remains at the forefront of attorney recruitment and professional development.