Ogletree Deakins Elects New Managing Director and Two Board of Directors Members

ATLANTA – January 29, 2024 – Ogletree Deakins, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to announce the elevation of three new firm leaders. Mark Diana, a shareholder in Morristown, has been elected to serve as one of the firm’s two Managing Directors. Dallas shareholder Ron Chapman and Phoenix shareholder Leah Freed have been selected to serve on the firm’s Board of Directors.

“Mark, Ron, and Leah are well-established and knowledgeable lawyers who consistently demonstrate an ability to execute the firm’s vision through their legal practice, hard work, and prior leadership roles,” said Liz Washko, Managing Shareholder of Ogletree Deakins. “I have full confidence that this trio of attorneys will be invaluable in continuing the firm’s success as they step into these new positions. I look forward to supporting and working alongside them.”

Diana succeeds Washko, who was announced today as Ogletree Deakins’ newest Managing Shareholder. Diana and Washko, along with Managing Director John Gerak, comprise the Executive Committee of Ogletree Deakins’ Board of Directors, which is responsible for the firm’s strategic direction and daily affairs. Since co-founding the firm’s Morristown office in 2004, Diana has held several leadership positions at the firm, including serving as the Morristown office managing shareholder for a decade, on the firm’s Compensation Committee, and as a member of the Board of Directors since 2019. Diana brings a wealth of experience to this new role, having spent more than 30 years defending employers on a full range of workplace matters including discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, breach of contract, and wage and hour.

This appointment marks Chapman’s third term on the Board. He has also chaired the firm’s Innovation Council, where he helped advance several important firm projects. Chapman joined Ogletree Deakins as an associate in 2000 and boasts more than two decades of experience practicing labor and employment law. A strategic advisor, he has a successful track record in high-stakes matters, including litigation and appeals in courts across the country. He also effectively marshals the firm’s significant resources and coordinates work throughout the firm’s many offices for clients with multi-state and multi-national operations.

Prior to joining the Board of Directors, Freed served on the firm’s Compensation Committee for several years. Freed has been an attorney with Ogletree Deakins since the firm opened its Phoenix office in 2005, and she previously served as the Phoenix office managing shareholder for nine years. Freed has exclusively practiced labor and employment law for more than two decades and regularly defends employers against claims of discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, FMLA claims, and wage and hour violations before federal and state courts and administrative agencies.

Chapman and Freed succeed Diana and Phoenix shareholder Nonnie Shivers, who completed two three-year terms on the Board and returns full time to her practice.  

About Ogletree Deakins
Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. Premier client service, as outlined in the firm’s Client Pledge, is one of the firm’s top priorities and a cornerstone of its core values. Best Law Firms^® has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for 13 consecutive years. In the 2024 edition, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Litigation – Labor & Employment category. Ogletree Deakins has more than 950 attorneys located in 55 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, including many of the Fortune 50 companies in the U.S. www.ogletree.com