Susan L. Bickley and Krystal Kane Receive Blank Rome’s 2022 Distinguished Diversity & Inclusion Awards
Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that our firm presented partner and Houston Office Chair Susan L. Bickley with the 2022 Bonnie Glantz Fatell Women’s Advocacy and Leadership Award, and pro bono attorney Krystal Kane with the 2022 Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones Diversity and Inclusion Award, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) at Blank Rome, across the legal industry, and within their local communities.
“We are honored to present Susan and Krystal with our firm’s notable diversity and inclusion awards,” said Krystal Studavent Ramsey, Blank Rome’s Director of Diversity & Inclusion. “Susan and Krystal are incredible leaders and champions who are committed to advancing and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion at Blank Rome while creating a meaningful and lasting impact in the community and across the legal industry."
Susan L. Bickley • Partner, Labor & Employment; Houston Office Chair
Bonnie Glantz Fatell 2022 Women’s Advocacy and Leadership Award Recipient
The Bonnie Glantz Fatell Women’s Advocacy and Leadership Award is presented annually by Blank Rome’s women affinity group - BR Women (formerly known as the Women’s Forum) - in recognition of an attorney or professional who has contributed significantly to women’s advocacy and leadership, both at the firm and in their community. The award is named in honor of Blank Rome’s late colleague, Bonnie Glantz Fatell, and is a lasting tribute to her legacy and contributions to Blank Rome and the countless lives she touched during her nearly 35 years with the firm.
“I am very grateful to receive this significant award,” said Susan. “Bonnie was an amazing woman, attorney, and inspiration who left a lasting impact on everyone she met. I will honor Bonnie's legacy by continuing to contribute to women’s advocacy and leadership, as well as promoting forward-thinking policies and programs aimed at developing and advancing women.”
A deserving recipient of this distinguished honor, Susan is committed to women’s advocacy and leadership, both within and outside of the firm. Previously serving as chair of BR Women, Susan continues to mentor, train, and develop young attorneys through Blank Rome’s Trial Academy and BR Belonging Leadership Circle.
Susan is well-recognized in the legal profession, the business community, and the community at large as a highly respected trial lawyer and a leading employment law practitioner. She has received a tremendous number of professional honors, including The Houston Business Journal's Women Who Means Business recognition, the Houston Bar Association’s Justice Ruby Kless Sondock Award for exceptional achievement and leadership in the law, and The University of Houston Law Center's President’s Award in honor of her commitment to the Law Center’s initiatives and programs. She serves as the Vice Chair of the Houston Law Foundation Board of Directors, a member of the Board of Directors of the John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science, and the Houston Law Review Board of Directors.
Krystal Kane • Pro Bono Attorney
The 2022 Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones Diversity and Inclusion Award Recipient
Inaugurated in 2013, the Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones Diversity and Inclusion Award is presented annually to a Blank Rome attorney or professional who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion within the firm. The award is named in honor of Nathaniel R. Jones, a trailblazing civil rights leader, activist, and former judge who joined Blank Rome in 2002 and served as the firm’s first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this meaningful award,” said Krystal. “Judge Jones played an essential role in fostering and promoting our firm's culture of diversity and inclusion and worked tirelessly to advance equal opportunity, rights, and justice across the industry and beyond. I am grateful to honor his memory by remaining committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in my leadership style and pro bono practice.
For more than nine years, Krystal has played an instrumental role in the firm’s pro bono program. As part of her pro bono work, Krystal has been an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, serving as a member of our firm’s BR Pride affinity group. She plays an integral role in our transgender name change clinics for transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-confirming individuals with the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (“TLDEF”), often partnering with in-house counsel. Earlier this year, Krystal organized and ran a community name change clinic with the LGBTQ Rights Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Philadelphia LGBTQ+ Bar Association, where she serves as the Chair of the Social Justice and Volunteerism Committee.
Along with this recognition, Krystal was named to Drexel University's 40 Under 40 list, in part for her transgender name change work, in March 2022. She also has been named a Craig M. Perry Service Award recipient, selected by the Philadelphia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, which is presented annually to an attorney younger than 40-years-old or within the first three years of practice, who has devoted substantial time and energy to community-oriented activities, including, but not limited to, pro bono and charity work. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Kisses for Kyle Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports families facing pediatric cancer diagnoses in the greater Delaware Valley.