GOOD Guys: Young Lawyers Edition
This 2-hour GOOD Guys program is the third of four planned joint programs between NCWBA and the ABA’s Commission on Women in the Profession, with the ABA’s Young Lawyer Division co-sponsoring. Teresa Beck, President-Elect of NCWBA and one of the co-founders of the GOOD Guys program (also a Shareholder at Klinedinst Law and Co-Chair of Diversity & Inclusion for the firm), will give opening remarks concerning the origin of the GOOD Guys movement.
The program will include a presentation by nationally-known Diversity Champion Sheryl Axelrod (Owner of The Axelrod Firm) about the importance of GOOD Guys (Guys Overcoming Obstacles to Diversity) of all ages and how they can effectuate exponential change. Following the presentation, a panel of young lawyers who are successful in their fields will discuss why they are GOOD Guys, why other male leaders should be GOOD Guys, and how male leaders can lead change for the benefit of all.
Choi Portis, Chair Elect of the ABA's Young Lawyers Division and Deputy General Counsel for the City of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, will moderate the discussion featuring the following GOOD Guys:
Jerome Crawford, Director of Legal Operations and Social Equity, Pleasantrees
Ray Panneton, Managing Partner, Ted Smith Law Group, PLLC (Texas)
Hon. Peter M. Reyes, Jr., Judge, Minnesota Court of Appeals; Commissioner, ABA Commission on Women in the Profession
Aaron Sohaski, Director of Contracting and Compliance, Henry Ford Health Center
Learn more about our Moderator and Panelists:
Choi T. Portis, a Detroit native, is the Manager of the City of Detroit's Department of Appeals and Hearings. She formerly served as Deputy General Counsel for the City of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. Choi serves as a member of the executive counsel for the State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section. She currently serves as the Chair-Elect of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and will serve as the Division Chair in 2021-2022. Choi is admitted to practice in the State of Michigan, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the United States Supreme Court. Choi is a proud graduate of Eastern Michigan University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Choi serves as a mentor to many and as a tutor to bar candidates through the Wolverine Bar Association. She also dedicates her time to service projects in the Inkster community as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Eta Iota Omega Chapter. Choi was the 2017 Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association Barrister's Honoree and a member of the Michigan Chronicle's 2017 40 Under 40 class, and a member of the Michigan Chronicle’s 2020 Women of Excellence class.
Choi enjoys reading, cooking, shopping, traveling, and spending time with her fiance, Steven, and their daughter Kensley.
---
Jerome Crawford is in a unique hybrid role as Director of Legal Operations and Social Equity for Pleasantrees, Michigan’s premier cultivator and seller of high-quality Midwest cannabis. There, he is responsible for the gamut of legal needs and spearheads social equity initiatives to ensure the company makes positive, genuine, and lasting impact within local communities as it grows.
A native Detroiter and “Super Spartan,” Crawford graduated Magna Cum Laude as a prelaw student at Michigan State University before earning his Juris Doctor at the MSU College of Law. On a national level, he most recently served as Co-Chair of the “Men of Color Project,” an initiative of the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division that aims to address the lack of diversity and advancement of men of color in the legal profession.
Outside of breaking ground as the first Black in-house counsel of a major cannabis manufacturer in the state of Michigan, Crawford is a working actor, model, and comedian and esteemed member of Phi Beta Sigma, Inc.
---
Raymond L. Panneton, a native of Fort Hood, Texas, has built a national practice with deep Texas roots.
Mr. Panneton graduated from Baylor University’s Honor College, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, as well as minors in Church-State Studies and Criminal Justice. While at Baylor, Mr. Panneton co-founded and helped lead Baylor’s Undergraduate Moot Court Team to national prominence, ultimately obtaining a national number 2 ranking his senior year.
After completing his undergraduate education, Mr. Panneton moved south to Houston, Texas, where he attended the Texas Southern University – Thurgood Marshall School of Law. While in law school, Mr. Panneton was appointed to the 3L Class Executive Board.
After graduating and passing the Texas Bar Exam, Mr. Panneton began his law practice in the heart of Houston’s historical Heights neighborhood. Representing plaintiffs in complex medical malpractice, pharmaceutical, and medical device litigation, Mr. Panneton’s practice took him to courtrooms in Texas and throughout the country. Whether through a jury trial or a complex mediation, Mr. Panneton ensured his clients received a detailed, results-oriented representation. Mr. Panneton’s hard work and dedication to his clients was recognized by H Texas Magazine, where Mr. Panneton was frequently named one of “Houston’s Top Lawyers.”
In September 2016, Mr. Panneton joined Hendershot, Cannon & Hisey, PC. Shifting his practice to complex business and intellectual property litigation, Mr. Panneton’s zeal for the courtroom and practical litigation experience allowed him to effectively represent his clients and achieve positive results. Mr. Panneton has effectively and efficiently represented his clients in federal and state trial courts, as well as in mediation and before arbitration panels. Mr. Panneton’s representation of his clients again resulted H Texas Magazine naming Mr. Panneton one of “Houston’s Top Lawyers.”
Returning to Central Texas as the managing partner of the Ted Smith Law Group, Mr. Panneton brings his knowledge and experience to better assist current and future clients.
In addition to his active and robust law practice, Mr. Panneton is also an active member of the Bar, holding leadership positions within the American Bar Association and the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. Mr. Panneton’s work with the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division earned him recognition as the Division’s Star of the Year in 2017. Additionally, as a result of his work and dedication to the Bar, Mr. Panneton has been elected a fellow of both the American Bar Foundation, as well as the Texas Bar Foundation.
When not in the office or courtroom, Mr. Panneton is an active member within his community and within his parish home of Holy Family Catholic Church. Mr. Panneton can often be found either walking his dogs with his family or enjoying some of the fantastic local food Central Texas has to offer.
---
Aaron Sohaski, an attorney for a little over five years, has made significant contributions to the value-based care landscape at Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) in Detroit. Presently, Aaron serves as the Director of Contracting and Compliance for the Henry Ford Physician Network and Accountable Care Organization, two wholly owned subsidiaries of HFHS. He engages in drafting, structuring, and negotiating value-based payor relationships, leads HFPN’s corporate governance structures, and ensures that providers adhere to regulatory and compliance activities through routine audits, education sessions, and investigations.
At HFHS, Aaron is a member of the Ethics Committee and serves as the Chair of its Policy Subcommittee. Aaron is also a past winner of the Davidson Fellowship at the Henry Ford Innovation Institute, which addressed healthcare challenges through innovation and scholarship. Additionally, he is the Chair of GenERG-Y, an Employee Resource Group at HFHS focused on creating a platform for networking and professional development amongst its emerging workforce including ensuring the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice are represented across the enterprise.
Within the community, Aaron is a Detroit Economic Club Young Leader Board Member and a Teach for America Alumni Board Member. He is also active in the State Bar of Michigan’s Health Care Law Section, serving on its Membership and Publications Committees. At the American Bar Association, Aaron serves as the YLD’s Director of Financial Wellness and Student Loans and has previously served in numerous leadership roles within the YLD. While in law school, Aaron served as Chair of the ABA Law Student Division.
Aaron received his Bachelor of Arts from Grand Valley State University, Master of Science from The Johns Hopkins University, and Juris Doctor from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.
---
The Honorable Peter M. Reyes, Jr. is a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. He began his career as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Salvador M. Rosas then joined Robins Kaplan as an associate in the Intellectual Property (IP) Litigation Department. He subsequently worked as a senior IP lawyer at Cargill, Incorporated and as a partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP.
Judge Reyes is an active member of a number of state, national, and international bar associations and nonprofit organizations. He served as president of the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association (MHBA) from 2000-2003 and national president of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) from 2012-2013. Judge Reyes is active in the American Bar Association (ABA) as a member of the House of Delegates, the ABA Judicial Division, Business Law Section, Section of IP Law, and TIPS, among others. He currently serves on the Commission on Women in the Legal Profession. Judge Reyes is an active member of the International Association of Lawyers (UIA) including in the Biotechnology Commission and as President of the U.S. National Committee.
Among his recognitions, Minnesota Lawyer named Judge Reyes as one of the “Top Ten Minnesota Attorneys of the Year” in 2001, one of the “Attorneys of the Year” in 2012, 2016, and 2017, and as a recipient of the inaugural “Diversity & Inclusion Award” in 2017. In 2012 and 2013, Poder Magazine named him as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in America. Judge Reyes received the Ohtli Award in 2016, the highest award given out by the Mexican government to a non-Mexican citizen. He received the “HNBA Latino Judge of the Year Award” in 2018. And in 2019, Judge Reyes received the “MHBA Courage in Leadership Award” and the ABA “Spirit of Excellence Award.”
Judge Reyes received his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of St. Thomas and his law degree from Mitchell-Hamline College of Law, graduating with Honors.