Corporate Counsel recognizes Angela Daker, Serena A. Rwejuna in Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards

Corporate Counsel, an American Lawyer title, has named White & Case partners Angela Daker and Serena A. Rwejuna to its list of honorees for its 2024 Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards. The awards honor women leaders in law firms and in-house positions who have "demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in law."

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champion: Angela Daker

Until April 2024, Daker served as Chair of the Firm's US Diversity Committee, where she led diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives across our US offices. These projects served to generate and support a diverse pipeline of lawyers and business services professionals, as well as to increase retention, ensure all colleagues have equitable access to opportunities, and to foster a culture of belonging for all.

Daker championed anti-racism training, helping to oversee the 2021 global rollout of inclusive leadership training that continues today with high levels of engagement.

Recognizing the growing importance of D&I to clients, Daker engaged our Diversity and Business Development teams to create a D&I Best Practice Guide to help diverse lawyers better pitch, staff, and cultivate client relationships. As a member of the Firm's Black Affinity Network, she also mentors diverse colleagues, herself.

In addition to her D&I work, Daker has engaged extensively in pro bono and volunteer work centered on racial justice. Her long history of pro bono service, including leading the pro bono efforts of the Americas Commercial Litigation Section for several years, has culminated in her becoming a pro bono partner in 2024, fully dedicating herself to this cause.

Mentor & Mentee Collaboration: Serena A. Rwejuna

Rwejuna, a partner in the Firm's Energy, Infrastructure, Project and Asset Finance Group, has long championed the next generation of leaders—both at White & Case and within the broader legal and energy industries. The daughter of an East African immigrant, she has a long legacy of sponsorship, allyship and mentorship of young diverse professionals, with a special focus on developing and advancing women, African and African American lawyers.

She is an active member of White & Case's Black Affinity Network and Women's Network Initiative and serves as a mentor in both. She has also developed informal mentoring circles that provide a space where diverse women attorneys can share, learn and grow from one another. These mentees commented: "Serena's investment in the growth and development of her mentees is what truly sets her apart from other lawyers. Serena instills confidence in her young lawyer mentees through her constant advocacy on their behalf," and "She reminds us all to make room for and to uplift each other."

Beyond the Firm, Rwejuna mentors 1L students at Howard Law and American Law, as well as students and alumni at Duke Law, her alma mater. She is also an inaugural member of the Energy Bar Association's Diversity & Inclusion Task Force.

The winners will be recognized at an awards dinner on September 24 in Chicago—see the full list here.