NONI ELLISON-SOUTHALL
TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC. Atlanta, GA
IMAGINE BEING RESPONSIBLE for the daily operations, including the negotiation of music-related deals, of TNT, TBS, TruTV, Cartoon Network, CNN, HTV, and other Turner networks. Noni Ellison-Southall relishes the task.
She is currently senior counsel for Turner
Broadcasting System, Inc. (Turner) and heads Turner’s music division. And that’s only the beginning of a list of 11 organizations that she’s either a member of, chairs, and in some cases, like the Black Professionals at Turner, founded.
Ellison-Southall is known as an excellent lawyer who
can get to the heart of a legal issue, lead as a consensus builder, and then execute to perfection. Te list of achievements on the Louisiana native’s
resume states undeniably that she is a natural leader, and Ellison-Southall recognizes that in herself. ”I am always willing to step up and lead if I can make a positive change. However, I know the importance of following, too, if the situation calls for it. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get things done, “ she says. Her work ethic comes from an awareness of how hard
others have worked to pave the way for her. Ellison-Southall is a fervent advocate for diversity
in the legal profession and on a mission to continue to develop her skills and expand her perspective. She considers a Rising Star as someone who is positioned to go on and achieve his or her ultimate goals.
Rising Stars VIVIAN LEE THOREEN
VIVIAN LEE THOREEN IS KNOWN for sorting through the detritus of fame. She helped free Mickey Rooney from elder abuse inflicted upon him by family members. She repre- sented Howard K. Stern,
the executor of Anna Nicole Smith’s estate, in a case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court twice. Troughout it all, she has maintained her drive to seek justice wherever it is needed. A trial lawyer and litigator who focuses on complex
trust, estate, conservatorship, and guardianship matters at Holland & Knight, she was recently appointed to the executive committee of the Trusts & Estates Section of the California Bar Association. “Vivian is one of the best young lawyers I have
ever worked with,” says Bruce Ross, co-chair of Holland & Knight’s national private wealth services dispute
MCCA.COM MARCH/APRIL 2013 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®
HOLLAND & KNIGHT Los Angeles, CA
resolution team and one of the country’s most distin- guished trust and estate litigators. Ross plans to transition leadership of the firm’s trust and estate litigation practice to Toreen when he scales back or retires in four or five years. She successfully represented the court-appointed
guardian of a minor for more than five years in the guardian’s efforts to adopt him. She did the work pro bono. Toreen recognizes the challenges she faces as a
woman and admits that it has made her job harder in the past. However, she says the extra work she had to do to establish her credibility in the courts and to clients has made her a better lawyer. According to Toreen, being considered a Rising Star
is a privilege, and it gives her the opportunity to have a positive impact throughout the legal community.
29
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52