Saxena White Director Lester R. Hooker has been named a Profiles in Diversity Journal  2023 Latino Leadership Award recipient.

The Profiles in Diversity Journal honorees are selected for having blazed new trails, welcoming challenges, mentoring others, advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the community, and excelling in their chosen fields.

Lester, a leader of the firm’s securities litigation practice, described his career and personal pathway. A child immigrant to the U.S. from war-torn Nicaragua after the murders of his father and grandfather, he was recruited out of law & business school by Maya Saxena and Joe White, just as they were building what would become one of the nation’s top securities litigation boutiques. Lester has played a key role in helping the firm become a legal industry model of diversity and inclusivity.

“We recruit young lawyers from different backgrounds, mentoring them to grow within the firm. This culture allowed my career to flourish – a Nicaraguan kid grows up to prosecute fraud and self-dealing at some of the largest financial institutions, like Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs? That’s the “American Dream” right there,” commented Lester.

Throughout its history, Profiles in Diversity Journal has recognized thousands of people from around the world who are making a difference.