Glenn Agre has three core values.
First, we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion—and that starts at the top of the firm. With women and lawyers of color represented and active from the beginning, Glenn Agre demonstrates the truth that diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes.
Second, we are committed to public service. We understand that as lawyers, we occupy a place of privilege in society. In turn, we recognize an imperative to contribute our time, talents, and resources to the public good—including advocacy for the causes most important to us.
Third, we embrace our obligations as professionals. That includes the duty to act ethically towards colleagues, clients, and the courts. As we understand professionalism, it also includes a duty to respect, mentor, and actively support the development of fellow lawyers at Glenn Agre.
Each of these values is central to the character of our firm. Each of these values makes us better lawyers and helps us win for clients. Each of these values makes us far greater than we would be without them.
Nearly 70% of our lawyers are from historically underrepresented backgrounds, and almost half of our partnership and executive committee are comprised of women and attorneys from diverse backgrounds. As a result of our efforts, we earned 2023-2024 Mansfield Certification Plus status from Diversity Lab.
Through pro bono efforts and charitable donations, we support causes aligned with our commitment to DEI and other firm values.
The emphasis we place on lawyer development is built into the structure of our firm. It actively encourages young lawyers to contribute meaningfully to the matters they collaborate in handling, while ensuring they receive ample case and career guidance from mentoring lawyers.
Olga Lucia Fuentes-Skinner is a 20-year veteran of New York’s top firms, earning a reputation as a leading commercial and white-collar litigator while building a diverse pro bono practice that reflects her own upbringing. Growing up as one of the few students of color in her class, Olga gravitated toward the lessons of the civil rights movement and the idea that with decisions like Brown v. Board of Education, people could change unjust laws and new laws could transform millions of lives for the better.
She has carried that understanding with her throughout her career as a leader in the courtroom and a groundbreaker for the Latino legal community. It has animated all of her pro bono work and kept her steady on her course to help women and minorities achieve success and leadership positions at law firms where those communities have been historically underrepresented in the partnership and executive ranks. Now operating from a firm with her name on the door, Olga offers a more inclusive ladder to those coming up the ranks behind her.
We are committed to using our privileged status atop the legal profession to advance the causes we believe in and benefit those in need. In selecting the matters to which we devote our time and talents pro bono, we look for those in which we can exercise our unique skills and have maximum positive impact. Examples of such matters include:
Through successes like these, we achieve the profound professional satisfaction of making our world greater than it might otherwise be.
What do you enjoy most about your practice?
I enjoy the sophisticated nature of my practice. I’m constantly analyzing complex issues that typically require me to think outside of the box. This makes practice exciting for me, and the dull moments are few and far between.
What are you most proud of professionally?
I’m proud to say that I am the first person in my immediate family to graduate from a professional school. This means a lot to me because I am a first-generation immigrant who comes from a working-class background. My parents instilled in me, among other things, the value of hard work and I can attest that it pays off.
What do you enjoy most about your practice?
I like that bankruptcy litigation is a streamlined and expedited process. From my experience, things move very quickly. As a result, it offers junior associates the opportunity to be in the courtroom early in their careers.
What advice do you have for women starting their legal careers?
Have confidence in your own abilities and don’t feel reluctant to talk about your successes.
What do you enjoy most about your practice?
What I most enjoy is that we get to reinvent ourselves and engineer a tailored approach with each case we take on. I truly enjoy the process of mastering the facts presented by our clients’ challenges, researching and analyzing the law that supports their goals, and providing a sophisticated solution. Simply put, it never gets old.
What are you most proud of professionally?
I am most proud of my growth as an advocate. My colleagues have encouraged me to take ownership of my cases and to think strategically and creatively to advance our clients’ goals. Their support has helped me to evolve from a first-year associate to a place where I can confidently confront our clients’ problems head-on.
What advice do you have for women starting their legal careers?
Treat other women as your cohort – not your competition. Lift other women up and seek out mentorship from women whose careers and lives inspire you. I have been fortunate to have so many women to look up to at Glenn Agre.
What do you enjoy most about your practice?
I enjoy the breadth and depth of my practice. My matters are incredibly varied, which allows me to gain expertise in many areas of the law, as well as to provide advice to a diverse set of clients and help them meet their unique goals.
Firm News
10/2/24