WASHINGTON, DC, September 2, 2020: Morgan Lewis partner Grace Speights has been named among The National Law Journal’s Winning Litigators for 2020. The annual report recognizes “conquerors of the courtroom” who have achieved success in widely watched cases in the last year.
Grace was recognized for her work leading the team who won the jury verdict in the landmark case for Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) against former host Tavis Smiley. When Smiley brought claims against PBS for breach of contract, Grace and the team argued that Smiley violated the “morals clause” in his contract, and the jury awarded PBS approximately $1.5 million in damages.
Grace handles high-profile and high-stakes workplace matters for employers and is often called upon by clients for crisis management assistance. Grace is sought out by executives and boards for her experience in not only investigating workplace misconduct claims, but also examining the culture of companies and their workplaces. Over the last three years, Grace has been repeatedly recognized for her pioneering role in leading high-profile internal investigations and advising on workplace culture as organizations traverse the employment landscape in the #MeToo era. This work earned her recognition as The American Lawyer’s Attorney of the Year in 2018.
More recently, amid national attention on issues of racial equality and social justice, employers have turned to Grace to help them navigate demands to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces, investigate allegations of non-inclusive or racist workplace environments, and advise on corporate diversity and inclusion initiatives. Grace is the leader of the firm’s global labor and employment practice, managing more than 300 lawyers across the firm.