Eric Lewis
Assistant General Counsel – VP | Wells Fargo
Practice area(s): Consumer Lending and Merchant Services
What are you looking forward to in your new role?
I’m looking forward to this role because it brings together two areas of law I’ve spent much of my career working in and am genuinely interested in—technology transactions and credit cards. This role allows me to leverage my experience advising on complex technology third‑party relationships while also continuing to support card and payment‑related issues that sit at the core of the business. It really feels like the best of both worlds and a natural next step in how I can add value to the business and the Legal Department.
What contributed to your promotion?
I’d like to think it was my dedication to delivering high‑quality work and building a reputation for reliability. Seeking feedback from both managers and peers was essential, as it helped me pinpoint areas for growth and develop a more well‑rounded skill set. I sought out stretch assignments and proactively pursued opportunities to improve.
What advice would you share with attorneys of color seeking advancement?
Recognize the value of your unique perspective and the hard work that brought you here. Stay open to new opportunities and diverse viewpoints; taking on stretch assignments can demonstrate your capabilities and help you grow.
Who have been important mentors or sponsors in your journey?
I’ve been fortunate to have many incredible mentors and sponsors throughout my career—far too many to name individually. Each guided me at pivotal moments and helped me reach where I am today. The common qualities they shared were empathy, patience, and a nurturing spirit, coupled with the courage to offer honest feedback and the generosity to invest time in my development.
What is your favorite thing about the Twin Cities legal community?
The Twin Cities legal community is so welcoming. It might take a second to break in, but once you do, so many people are invested and genuinely want the best for you. TCDIP does such a great job at facilitating those connections and broadening the legal community.
One fun fact: I’m very into DIY and home improvement. I’ve built an outdoor deck and pergola, as well as tackled interior projects like building a walk‑in closet for my primary bedroom.
Melissa Muro LaMere
Chair, Labor & Employment Group | Maslon LLP
Practice area(s): Labor & Employment
Social: LinkedIn
What are you looking forward to in your new role?
I am eager to grow our Labor & Employment group. I am the first Maslon partner to be co‑located in California and Minnesota, and it has been great to support our clients with employment needs in California. Our clients are national, so it only makes sense to support them in multiple jurisdictions—from the perspective of a firm that truly understands Minnesota.
What advice would you share with attorneys of color seeking advancement?
Work with people who lift you up and allow you to be you. I’m grateful to work at a firm that values what I bring to the table, and where the people I work with are partners in every sense. Our line of work is full of conflict and adversity—don’t let the call come from inside the house.
One fun fact: I am a diehard theme park girlie. I grew up in Southern California and bought a Disneyland annual pass with my first paycheck in high school. I still drag my family to theme parks every chance I get, and have been known to take work calls from ride lines on the weekends.
Rich Ramones
Corporate Compliance and Senior Legal Counsel | CHS
Practice area(s): Global Trade, Investigations, Employment, Environmental, Regulatory
Social: LinkedIn
What are you looking forward to in your new role?
As both a practicing lawyer and compliance professional, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as a member of the compliance and integrity leadership team with responsibilities for the CHS global trade compliance and investigations programs.
On a daily basis, I enjoy partnering with our business teams, HR and other stakeholders across the enterprise to support practical risk management and business initiatives. As CHS continues to operate in dynamic, highly regulated markets, I’m energized by the opportunity to keep learning and growing alongside our business partners in the agriculture, energy and transportation space.
What contributed to your promotion?
CHS and leaders within our Legal Government Affairs Compliance and Audit (LGCA) team gave me the opportunity to take on a broader enterprise leadership role that leverages my prior experience while also allowing me to learn from, and support, complex, highly regulated teams throughout our global business.
I am grateful for their support and the chance to return to a cross-functional leadership role similar to deputy general and corporate secretary roles that I enjoyed earlier in my career.
What advice would you share with attorneys of color seeking advancement?
Doing good work is table stakes. Invest early in skills to elevate your professional brand such as clear, business focused communication and a willingness to learn new industries and areas of law.
Just as important, seek out supportive communities such as TCDIP, along with mentors and sponsors who can serve as your personal “board of directors” throughout your career.
One fun fact
I’ve been taking salsa and bachata lessons and enjoy social dancing whenever I can. It’s a great mental and physical reset and has connected me with an amazing dance community here in the Twin Cities!
Garrett Padilla
Associate | Fish & Richardson
Practice area(s): Life sciences and biotechnology patent prosecution
Tell us briefly about your areas of practice. What are you looking forward to in your new role?
I help clients protect their inventions, perform freedom‑to‑operate work, and provide general IP guidance and strategy.
What contributed to your promotion?
Developing rapport with clients. We are fundamentally a service‑based business that needs to assist our clients in making good decisions. Building, maintaining, and strengthening client relationships is invaluable.
What advice would you share with attorneys of color seeking advancement?
One great piece of advice I received a long time ago was to simply do your best work. Early on it’s easy to worry about budgets, bothering senior attorneys, or asking questions. If you do great work, you will become more efficient over time.
What’s something that you didn’t expect in your career journey?
To be an attorney. You never know where life and opportunities will take you.
One fun fact: I love spending time with my three kids and all their various activities.
Alia Abdi
Shareholder | Nilan Johnson Lewis
Practice area(s): Labor & Employment Law
Social: LinkedIn
Soobin Kim
Shareholder | Fredrikson
Practice area(s): Corporate, M&A, Private Equity, Asia/Pacific
Social: LinkedIn
Tell us briefly about your areas of practice. What are you looking forward to in your new role?
I’m a cross‑border M&A attorney by trade, having spent a decade in Asia on deals spanning Korea and other jurisdictions across the Asia‑Pacific region. I look forward to further developing my practice and facilitating business transactions between the United States and East Asia.
What advice would you share with attorneys of color seeking advancement?
Embrace and be confident in who you are and where you come from.
What’s something that you didn’t expect in your career journey?
After living in several countries and attending school in New York, Minnesota wasn’t a logical destination—but the transition has been seamless and highly rewarding, and my family and I look forward to calling Minnesota home for many years.
Anthony Mendoza
Shareholder | Fredrikson & Byron
Practice area(s): Sports & Entertainment; Communications; Nonprofit
Social: LinkedIn
Tell us briefly about your areas of practice.
I lean on experiences from my first career as a professional musician to inform my arts and entertainment law practice—working with bands, songwriters, film producers, and arts organizations on complex legal and business IP issues. I also serve as outside general counsel to many clients in the communications/internet industry.
One fun fact: The only thing I’ve done longer than practice law is perform music. I’ve recorded and released three albums, performed in the U.S. and U.K., and I still perform locally with my band, The Long Goodbyes.
Jaime Wing
Partner | Norton Rose Fulbright
Practice area(s): Product Liability and Consumer Disputes
Social: LinkedIn
Tell us briefly about your areas of practice.
My practice centers on representing companies in consumer‑facing disputes, with a special emphasis on guiding manufacturers through product liability and advertising‑related claims. In recent years, I’ve also devoted substantial effort to defending lenders against accountholder claims.
How have TCDIP and the Twin Cities legal community contributed to your career growth?
We’re incredibly lucky to have a talented yet accessible legal sector in our backyard—from private firms and corporate law departments to public agencies and our state and federal benches—which has allowed me to learn from great colleagues, clients, and judges every day.
Who are the mentors, sponsors, and supporters who helped you get to where you are?
Too many to name, but each offered opportunities, often when they didn’t have much reason to. Some of the most meaningful support was simply listening to the highs and lows of attorneys and business professionals who’ve been at it longer.
One fun fact: My family and I have recently been trying a few different winter activities, like snowshoeing and cross‑country skiing. After living in Minnesota for this long, it was about time we embraced the season!
Manuel Adolfo Cornell
Partner | Dorsey & Whitney
Practice area(s): International Arbitration and Commercial Litigation
Social: LinkedIn
Tell us briefly about your areas of practice. What are you looking forward to in your new role?
I represent clients in complex commercial disputes involving foreign investments, commercial contracts, employment matters, and construction projects. My practice spans state and federal courts as well as local and international arbitrations (LCIA, ICDR, ICC, ICSID, AAA). I look forward to continuing to grow my practice into LATAM and other parts of the world and to fostering relationships.
What contributed to your promotion?
Believing in myself and not letting imposter syndrome take the best of me, then focusing on working hard, listening to advice, and not giving up.
What advice would you share with attorneys of color seeking advancement?
Focus on your goals and not on possible barriers, and make friends and mentors you can rely on—your community will encourage you and push you to succeed. Never forget your roots or to pay it back by helping those who look up to you.
How have TCDIP and the Twin Cities legal community contributed to your career growth?
I’m new to the Twin Cities, but I already have a community behind me. My Dorsey colleagues have become my rock at work. I’ve also been impressed by the broader community, which reinforced my decision to move to Minneapolis and continue my career here.
What’s something that you didn’t expect in your career journey?
I never expected that my Dorsey colleagues would be some of my best friends.
Who are the mentors, sponsors, and supporters who helped you get to where you are?
My mother, Maria Sonia Venegas; my husband, Brian Cornell; Bill Miller (Dorsey Des Moines Partner); Theresa Bevilacqua (Dorsey Minneapolis Partner and Business Group Head); Ashley Repp (Dorsey Minneapolis Associate); and Dorsey’s Culture & Engagement team—each played vital roles in my growth.
One fun fact: I am a ‘girl dad’ and I love it.
Taofikat Ninalowo‑Olaofe
Partner | Greene Espel
Practice area(s): General litigation with a focus on commercial litigation and products liability
Social: LinkedIn
What advice would you share with attorneys of color seeking advancement?
Be intentional—about where you choose to work, the excellence you bring to your work, and the presence and reputation you build over time. These choices compound and shape your career.
Raoul Shah
Partner | Robins Kaplan
Practice area(s): Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Appellate Advocacy and Guidance
Social: LinkedIn: Instagram
Tell us briefly about your areas of practice. What are you looking forward to in your new role?
My practice focuses on helping people who have been seriously injured through no fault of their own. While I can never change what happened, my goal is to seek accountability and help clients obtain a recovery they can use to try to restore their lives. In my new role, I look forward to continuing to serve injured individuals and families, mentoring others, furthering my pro bono and community service work, and making firm‑wide contributions.
What contributed to your promotion?
The people all around me—lawyers, paralegals, medical analysts, legal administrative assistants, and many others. I’m grateful for the advice and guidance people have provided me over the years, and I look forward to paying it forward.
What advice would you share with attorneys of color seeking advancement?
Know that you belong here and that there is a place for you. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others for support and advice. There’s no one right path to get where you want to go, and many attorneys of color are willing to help you plan and progress.
What’s something that you didn’t expect in your career journey?
Working at a private law firm, being in civil practice, and becoming a partner. My goal in going to law school was to be a career prosecutor, and I’m thankful for that experience as a foundation for my current work.
What is your favorite thing about the Twin Cities legal community?
We have a diverse legal community with active affinity bars that collaborate well with each other; it’s truly a community focused on lifting each other up.
One fun fact: I play in a brass band with a group of college friends. We do our own arrangements of pop songs and have a blast performing in the summers.