Two Latham Partners Named 2022 Black Leaders Worth Watching
Partners Sarah Fortt and David Ziyambi have been named among Profiles in Diversity Journal’s 2022 Black Leaders Worth Watching, which recognizes exceptional individuals who “display talent and skill, a commitment to excellence, and a passion for mentoring and advocating for the next generation, and an ongoing involvement with the larger community.”
Fortt, Global Co-Chair of Latham’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practice, helps clients navigate risks and opportunities relating to climate change, human rights, diversity matters and corporate culture. With a long history in the ESG space, Ms. Fortt advises and educates public and private companies and their boards on ESG-related corporate governance, crisis management and preparedness, and disclosure obligations. Beyond her legal work, giving back to the community plays a central role in Fortt’s commitment to ESG. She is a thought leader, serves on several advisory boards, maintains an active pro bono practice, and dedicates significant time and resources to mentoring lawyers who identify as women of color and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. When asked about this honor, Fortt noted: “I am proud to see Latham recognized in this way, and even prouder to receive this honor with my UK partner, David Ziyambi. I think this shows one of the many ways in which Latham is uniquely positioned to show strength upon strength on a global basis.”
Ziyambi, a member of the firm’s Finance Department and Africa Practice, primarily focuses on project, structured, leveraged, and growth financing in the energy, infrastructure, and technology sectors within both mature and developing markets, particularly throughout Africa. Beyond his professional practice, his racial equity and social justice efforts will benefit members of underrepresented populations in perpetuity — within the firm, in the legal industry, and beyond. Outside the firm, he serves in a number of advisory capacities, including as a director of International Lawyers for Africa, a flagship secondment programme, which provides legal training, networking opportunities, and education to lawyers across Africa, and as a trustee for the BIGKID Foundation, a UK-based youth charity that aims to improve the lives of young people at risk of social exclusion and youth violence. Within the firm, he has been instrumental in creating an ecosystem for Black lawyers at Latham. The Black Lawyers Group spans financial advice, an award-winning mentoring program, innovative recruitment strategies, as well as the successful expansion of Latham’s pro bono focus to include projects that support the Black community, promote equality and access, and combat poverty.