Natalie Kernisant

As chief diversity and inclusion officer, Natalie Kernisant spearheads firmwide diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts to break down barriers to equal opportunity and create an ever-more inclusive workplace for MoFo employees. Under Kernisant’s leadership, the firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus status every year since its launch in 2017, introduced the Gender Inclusive Employment Policy and established an independent D&I department and grew it from one to five professional staff. During her tenure, Kernisant has been actively involved in the creation of a number of D&I initiatives, including the Allies Network, designed to carry on the momentum after the George Floyd tragedy by supporting allyship; MoFo Navigate, an umbrella initiative that houses the firm’s formal mentorship and sponsorship programmes with a focus on working across differences; and MoFo’s partnership with Diversity Lab’s Disability Inclusion Advisory Group, which focuses on identifying actionable best practices to advance disability inclusion. Additionally, Kernisant helped foster the legal service hours credit policy for approved activities performed in support of the firm’s commitment to D&I.