< PreviousZONING & SE GRE GA TION STUD Y: PART 2 McGuireWoods real estate and zoning lawyers, land use planners and government relations consultants released Part 2 of an in-depth study of zoning laws and housing segregation in Virginia, outlining specific policy reforms to eliminate discriminatory housing policies that perpetuate racial disparities. The builds on McGuireWoods’ documenting how zoning was used as a tool to create segregated housing patterns that endure long after the Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibited racial discrimination. 20 ONE McGUIREWOODS | SUMMER 20 22The recommendations in Part 2 focus on changes to Virginia’s planning and zoning laws at the local and state levels to increase housing choices, remove barriers to diverse neighborhoods and increase access to attainable housing. The McGuireWoods team — led by Tysons partner and McGuireWoods Consulting senior — details the consequences of residential segregation and the positive outcomes the commonwealth can realize by ridding society of such segregation. “The purpose of this report is to address the lack of racial integration in Virginia’s neighborhoods and to offer a collection of proposed solutions to this issue at the state and local levels,” Dyke says. “Our intent is not to assess blame or point fingers for past injustices, but rather to recommend specific steps that can be taken to eliminate the vestiges of discriminatory housing and zoning policies.” The authors say zoning policies will play a major role in closing the significant wealth gap between Black and white Americans and called for “direct and intentional action” by state and local governments and the private sector. “By increasing the availability of attainable housing, we will not only be remedying past injustices, but sustaining our economic development efforts,” Dyke says. “Implementing solutions to this problem will help create housing and wealth opportunities for all members of our future workforce, including essential workers, first responders, teachers, nurses, trade workers and younger adults. This outcome is consistent with the overall business priority of adding more attainable housing as a much-needed tool to grow Virginia’s economy.” Rak adds: “Our vision of housing equality does not mandate where people should live. Rather, it removes legal barriers that continue the economic and racial segregation of communities. We do not propose to have all of the answers, but we hope these recommendations invite contemplation, collaboration and direct action amongst government leaders, businesses, financial institutions, real estate professionals and other members of our commonwealth.” For details of the May 2022 study, read ONE McGUIREWOODS | SUMMER 20 22 21DIVERSITY PLAN ALLIES 22 ONE McGUIREWOODS | SUMMER 20 22From left: Adam Harrell Jr., Brian Jackson, Joe Reid, Carlos Brown (seated), Jimmy Robinson Jr., Rudene Mercer Haynes and Jontille Ray Black In-House featured McGuireWoods as a key ally in client Dominion Energy’s Legal Diversity Plan, which aims to give consistent and meaningful work to diverse lawyers in large firms and diverse-owned law firms. “It’s the right thing to do and it really is in alignment with the shared core values of our respective organizations,” says Richmond how McGuireWoods is working to advance their shared diversity goals. Reid says the leadership of Dominion Energy — including senior vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer Carlos Brown — “is fundamentally committed to these principles and the leadership of our law firm is likewise committed.” BIHC’s annual report highlighted the work of corporate legal departments and Am Law 100 law firms that are advocating for in the legal profession. The report devoted extensive coverage to Dominion Energy’s efforts under Brown’s leadership. Reid says McGuireWoods and Dominion Energy agree that diverse teams are better teams and that numbers alone are not an adequate measure of progress. “This is about creating pipelines and opportunities,” says Reid, an accomplished litigator who has represented Dominion Energy, a client since 1988, in numerous matters. “It absolutely has to be a long- term plan, not short term, because it takes a lot of work and a lot of time to be successful in creating more DEI.” The BIHC report also spotlighted McGuireWoods lawyers who handle Dominion Energy’s legal matters, including Richmond office managing partner and and “We value our longstanding relationship with Dominion Energy and we are proud to work together to advance our shared commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession,” McGuireWoods Chairman says. ONE McGUIREWOODS | SUMMER 20 22 23HUDDLE WITH CO ACH TONY DUNG Y 24 ONE McGUIREWOODS | SUMMER 20 22From left: McGuireWoods’ Robert Muckenfuss and Jonathan Harmon, Tony Dungy and McGuireWoods’ Greg Kilpatrick McGuireWoods co-sponsored a Feb. 24, 2022, webcast with Tony Dungy, an NBC sports analyst, author, and Super Bowl-winning NFL head coach and player. McGuireWoods Chairman discussed how the lessons Dungy learned throughout his career can be applied to achieving racial equity. Raised in the automotive manufacturing center of Jackson, Michigan, by parents who were educators, Dungy said he decided to forge a career path outside the auto industry, unlike many of his friends. “My parents instilled in me that you can do whatever you want to do,” he said, “and that was something I needed to hear at that time.” He went on to become an NFL player, the first African American head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory and one of only four men to win a Super Bowl as a player (for the Pittsburgh Steelers) and a head coach (of the Indianapolis Colts). The power of diversity can be illustrated through sports, Dungy said. In sports, teams include members from different backgrounds who unite to achieve a common goal — winning the game. The challenge of advancing racial equity and diversity in the workplace does not stem from conscious racial bias but from preconceived ideas of what a successful candidate should look like, Dungy noted. Employers should be open-minded and consider all the talent available, instead of maintaining a myopic view. The Rooney Rule, an NFL policy requiring teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and other senior jobs, has not been as effective as it could be, Dungy added. To pursue the rule’s goals, he believes teams should start with a description of the type of individual they need to fill the position, then find candidates who fit that description, including minorities. “Do things the right way and the right way will be rewarded,” he said. “When you end up helping people, you advance.” ONE McGUIREWOODS | SUMMER 20 22 2518TH HCPE CONFERENCE 26 ONE McGUIREWOODS | SUMMER 20 22Hundreds of lenders, investors, C-level executives, and healthcare and life sciences executives attended More than 900 professionals registered for the two-day event, which drew representatives from 365 companies. Day one featured lively, insightful discussions with political commentator and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and comedian and former U.S. Sen. Al Franken. On day two, attendees heard from Renée Richardson Gosline, a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and principal research scientist at MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy. In addition to deep dives into various industry sectors, the conference offered a wealth of networking opportunities. Attendees took advantage of the conference’s innovative speed-networking component — fostering meetings, deals and dealmaking relationships among attendees — and enjoyed access to PitchBook’s comprehensive private and public market data to research companies, investors, funds, firms, deals and executives. Attendees also enjoyed breakfast and breakfast. From left: McGuireWoods’ Geoff Cockrell, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former U.S. Sen. Al Franken ONE McGUIREWOODS | SUMMER 20 22 27BIG PRODUCT LIABILITY DEFENSE WIN McGuireWoods won a summary judgment for client Swedish Match NA in a high-profile product liability action brought by plaintiffs who alleged that smokeless tobacco products caused one plaintiff’s tonsil cancer. Several months ago, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania granted summary judgment, after McGuireWoods partners won Daubert motions to exclude testimony from two of the plaintiffs’ causation experts. 28 ONE McGUIREWOODS | SUMMER 20 22From left: Sam Tarry, Davis Walsh and Eric Fleming As alleged in the complaint, plaintiff Gus Hoefling, a former Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Eagles strength coach, began using Red Man Chewing Tobacco, a product made by Swedish Match’s subsidiary, in 1973. He later added another smokeless tobacco product, using both until he quit in 2011. He was diagnosed with tonsil cancer in 2017. Hoefling and his wife sued Swedish Match subsidiary Pinkerton Tobacco Co. and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. in 2019, claiming his decades of tobacco use caused his cancer. According to the court’s ruling, the plaintiffs retained pre-eminent oncologists from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School to opine that Red Man caused Hoefling’s cancer. Since 1987, all forms of smokeless tobacco have carried a series of federal warning labels, including: “This product can cause mouth cancer.” McGuireWoods argued that the experts’ testimony should be excluded under the Daubert standard because they neither ruled in smokeless tobacco as a cause of tonsil cancer, which is distinct from oral cancer, nor ruled out human papillomavirus, which causes 80 percent of tonsil cancers. The court agreed and granted McGuireWoods’ motion for summary judgment. In addition to Tarry and Walsh, the McGuireWoods litigation team included associate “This is an important legal decision that recognizes tobacco harm reduction principles,” Tarry says. “We are pleased the court looked past the experts’ outstanding credentials and held them to the standards demanded by rule 702.” McGuireWoods was one of only six law firms to earn the powerhouse rating — BTI’s highest — for general commercial litigation. In addition, the firm was rated a “standout” for intellectual property and employment litigation and a “leader” for class action, product liability, complex employment and complex commercial litigation. ONE McGUIREWOODS | SUMMER 20 22 29Next >