Leslie John Elected Co-President of Philadelphia Diversity Law Group

Leslie E. John—a noted litigation partner at Ballard Spahr and leader of the firm's Antitrust and Competition Group—has been elected co-President of the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group (PDLG).

PDLG was founded in 2001 to promote diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Membership spans the region's leading law firms and corporate departments. Together, they create programs designed to encourage the recruitment and retention of diverse lawyers, establish strong student pipelines, and support community education. Ballard Spahr was a founding member of the organization.

"Law is one of the least diverse professions in the nation, but there has been improvement and it is due, in large part, to organizations like PDLG," Ms. John said. "The field of law should embody the principles that guide its practice: equal access and integrity. With everyone's help, we're making progress. It is my privilege to help."

Ms. John concentrates on antitrust and complex litigation. She represents clients—many of them in the pharmaceutical and health care industries—in federal and state courts across the country and before the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission. Ms. John has been singled out for excellence by Global Competition Review and The Legal Intelligencer and Benchmark Litigation named her to its list of the nation's top female litigators.

Ms. John is a member of Ballard Spahr's Diversity and Inclusion Council. Outside the firm, she is Vice President of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, where she also sits on the Board of Trustees. She is a member of the Forum of Executive Women and serves as General Counsel of WOMEN'S WAY.

"Leslie is a leader at the firm and in the profession," said Ballard Spahr Chief Diversity Officer Virginia G. Essandoh. "She is also a powerful advocate for diversity and inclusion. The PDLG—and diverse lawyers and aspiring law students across the region—will benefit from that leadership."