Three From Ballard Spahr Named to Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellows and Pathfinders Program

Ballard Spahr Partner Juan Pereira has been named a Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) for 2024, and firm Associates Maraya N. Pratt and Drew Hensley have been named 2024 LCLD Pathfinders, the firm announced today.

LCLD is an organization of more than 400 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners—including Ballard Spahr Chair Peter V. Michaud—who have pledged to create a truly diverse U.S. legal profession. Member corporations and law firms select high-performing, high-potential diverse attorneys to participate as LCLD Fellows and Pathfinders. Both the Fellows and Pathfinders programs are designed to supplement training and development initiatives already in place at LCLD member firms.

The Fellows program is designed for mid-career lawyers with up to 15 years of experience. The intensive, year-long professional development program connects high-performing attorneys with leading general counsels, managing partners, and their peers for mentoring and career guidance.

Fellows program participant Juan Pereira is a real estate finance attorney with experience representing lenders and investors in commercial real estate finance transactions. His practice includes an emphasis on multifamily housing finance transactions involving the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Pathfinders program participants learn from top leaders in the legal profession as well as career development experts. The program, conducted over seven months, is designed to train high-performing, early-career attorneys on foundational leadership and relationship-building skills.

Pathfinders program participant Maraya Pratt is a litigator in the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group, assisting clients in a range of commercial litigation matters, including breach of contract claims and business torts. She also has experience conducting internal investigations of misconduct and discrimination claims arising under Title IX.

Pathfinders program participant Drew Hensley focuses on complex patent and trademark litigation and international trademark portfolio management. His practice also includes a substantial amount of pro bono representation centered around legal protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

For media inquiries, please contact Bill Shralow at 215.864.8195.