Kito K. Huggins is the Firm’s Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer. In this capacity, he designs, develops and drives the strategies which continue to cultivate our diverse and inclusive culture. In addition, he collaborates closely with the Firm’s leadership, clients, and external organizations to launch and refine initiatives which support the recruitment, retention, mentoring and advancement of historically underrepresented, diverse talent at the Firm and throughout the legal profession.

Before joining Patterson Belknap, Mr. Huggins served as a Managing Director and U.S. Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion of a global strategic communications and crisis management firm, where he advised clients on executive communications, reputation management, scenario planning and their execution of longer-term commitments while navigating complex and dynamic societal issues and topics impacting investors, boards, the media, employees, and consumers.

He has served as Director of Executive Administration and Senior Manager of Diversity and Social Responsibility of an international law firm overseeing its new partner leadership development, global alumni and career transitions assistance programs, as well as affinity group engagement. Earlier in his career, Mr. Huggins has facilitated executive leadership development training, performed organizational assessments, and has advised clients on their diversity committee launches and ERG activations while employed with a boutique DEI consultancy. He has spent several years as in-house litigation counsel and a vice president of compliance for a global financial services institution and investment firm, respectively. Mr. Huggins began his career as a litigation associate at a multinational law firm, following a clerkship in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

Education

• Vanderbilt University School of Law (J.D., 1999)
• Vanderbilt University (B.A., 1996)

• Member, Vanderbilt University Board of Trust
• Board Chair, The New York Anti-Violence Project
• Advisory Board Member, Kanarys