Crain’s New York Business Names Partners Haima Marlier and Ruti Smithline as Notable Diverse Leaders in Law

Partners Haima Marlier and Ruti Smithline have been named Notable Diverse Leaders in Law in Crain’s New York Business’s 2022 edition. The recognition profiles top law professionals from underrepresented groups who are making an impact in New York.

Haima Marlier is co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s Securities Litigation, Enforcement, and White Collar Defense Group. Drawing on her experience as a former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Senior Trial Counsel, Haima represents companies and individuals in SEC and other government investigations, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority investigations, internal investigations, and related litigation. Haima has helped to expand the SEC Enforcement practice, develop a comprehensive associate training program, and focus on thought leadership. She serves on the firm’s Diversity Strategy Committee, focusing on the retention and promotion of diverse associates, including by forming a networking group for women attorneys of color. Outside the firm, serves on the Board of Trustees of the SEC Historical Society, mentors Penn State students of color who aspire to become lawyers; and volunteers as a running coach for Girls on the Run.

A native Colombian and fluent Spanish speaker, Ruti Smithline leads the firm’s Investigations + White Collar practice and its expansion throughout Latin America, where MoFo provides go-to counsel for some of LatAm’s most sensitive corruption, fraud, and compliance-related cases. Her practice focuses on white-collar criminal defense, cross-border internal investigations, and compliance counseling. In addition to her high‑profile casework, Ruti is an advocate and mentor for junior lawyers, women attorneys, and under-represented minority attorneys. She leads the firm’s Visiting International Attorney program, where she mentors lawyers who are seconded to MoFo for more exposure to U.S. law. As head of the firm’s New York Litigation Department, Ruti oversees more than 70 attorneys, and is particularly focused on the training and advancement of the associates. Ruti is an active contributor to the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, where she has served on a number of initiatives, including promoting the Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas, providing pro bono representation for a number of key anti-corruption initiatives, and serving on the selection committee for the TotalLAW Prep Mentorship program which provides mentoring and support to high-potential lawyers of Afro-Descendant and indigenous lawyers from Latin America who seek LLM degrees.

Read about the recognition.