The National Law Journal Legal Awards Honorees and Finalists Announced

The National Law Journal has named MoFo an ESG and Community Impact Leader as part of The National Law Journal Legal Awards, which recognize the law firms and attorneys who stand out for their work guiding clients through high-stakes litigation, their cutting edge approaches to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues, as well as their diversity and inclusion initiatives. Locke Bell was also named a 2022 D.C. Rising Star. The National Law Journal’s Rising Star Awards recognize the 40 most promising lawyers age 40 and younger in the Washington, D.C. area who have become influential in their areas of practice.

MoFo’s recognition as an ESG and Community Impact Leader reflects MoFo’s position as a leader in sustainability, ESG, and pro bono work. MoFo’s deep and abiding commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and environmental sustainability, spans over two decades, with the firm specifically focused on environmental sustainability since 2001. Our partners are at the forefront of the industry as founding members of the Social Accountability Standards Board, and on the boards of Ceres, Business for Social Responsibility, the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, and the Climate Registry, among others. Our partners also played a key role in drafting the new corporate forms to create a social purpose corporation (SPC) in California, which is substantially similar to the Delaware public benefit corporation, and requires boards and management to focus on positive social and environmental impact in addition to financial returns.

Locke Bell is a senior associate in Morrison Foerster’s Chambers Tier 1 Government Contracts Group. His legal acumen, practical advice, litigation skills, and client service have earned him a reputation beyond his years. Locke is recognized as a leading authority on intellectual property in government contracting, as well as in the burgeoning field of other transaction agreements and nontraditional contracting methods supporting federally funded research and development. He is also one of only a few practitioners adept at the intersection of procurement law and corporate transactions, where he advises purchasers and sellers on compliance with government contracting regulations, government rights in company IP, and transferability of small business contracts, among many other things. He is a leader in the bar, serving as a co-chair of the ABA Public Contract Law Section’s Intellectual Property Committee, and previously as co-chair for the ABA International Law Aerospace & Defense Industries Committee and Advisory Council.