Littleton Joyce announced today that Carmen J. Cole has been appointed managing partner of its Los Angeles office. Cole, who previously practiced in the Los Angeles and Atlanta offices of McGuireWoods, joined the firm as a partner in January, 2013. She is the first woman and first African American to serve as the managing partner of one of its offices.
“This is an honor, it’s exciting for me,” Cole says. “A lot of firms talk about diversity, but there’s a fundamental difference between simply talking about something and demonstrating real commitment. From the top down, Littleton Joyce is a firm that reflects the diversity of our communities and clients.”
Like many Littleton Joyce attorneys, Cole left a large law firm to become an integral part of a growing, high energy litigation practice with national reach. A 2001 graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law, Cole leads the firm’s Labor & Employment practice group. She focuses on the defense of employment discrimination claims, including wrongful termination, non-competition agreements, misappropriation cases, and other employment related torts.
"This appointment is a reflection of the value and leadership Carmen has shown since joining Littleton Joyce last year,” says firm Managing Partner Robert Kelly. “Our Los Angeles practice continues to expand, with a strong presence in labor and employment, product liability, toxic tort, transportation liability and general business litigation. Carmen has both the legal and leadership skills to oversee our continuing growth.”
Diversity has always been strong priority at Littleton Joyce, which focuses heavily on the recruitment, retention and advancement of highly skilled attorneys and staff from diverse backgrounds. As of February, 20 percent of Littleton Joyce’s partners and 53 percent of associates and special counsel are comprised of minority attorneys. In addition, 27 percent of the firm’s partnership and 53 percent of its associates and special counsel are women.
