Press Release

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP senior counsel Robert Grey Jr. has received The American Lawyer’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his longstanding contributions to the legal profession.

Grey, president of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, was among six Lifetime Achievement honorees who were recognized in a virtual event on Jan. 14. The award is given annually to those who have made an indelible mark on the legal industry with significant contributions to both the profession and to broader society over careers spanning several decades.

“Robert’s tireless efforts to challenge the legal industry to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive have benefited our profession immensely,” Hunton Andrews Kurth Managing Partner Wally Martinez said. “We couldn’t be prouder of this well-deserved honor for our longtime friend and colleague.”

Since 2010, Robert Grey has been a leader of LCLD, an organization of more than 350 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners working to build a more open and diverse legal profession. Hunton Andrews Kurth is a proud founding member of LCLD, having provided significant start-up support for the organization. In 2014, he was named president of the organization. The LCLD’s programs aim to attract and nurture talented diverse lawyers and help them attain leadership positions in law firms, corporations and other organizations. At the firm’s request, Grey joined the Council less than a year after it was founded and served as its Executive Director for four years before being elected President. Under his leadership, the LCLD has launched a number of successful programs including the Fellows, 1L Scholars and Success in Law Mentoring programs, whose beneficiaries now number in the thousands. The organization’s newest program, the Leaders at the Front initiative, aims to help dismantle systemic barriers preventing underrepresented attorneys from achieving the highest levels of leadership within law firms and corporate legal departments.

Among his list of leadership positions, Grey served as president of the American Bar Association from 2004 to 2005. During his term as president, he worked for justice through better juries via the American Jury Initiative. Grey was elected chair of the ABA House of Delegates, the second highest position in the ABA, in 1998 and was the first person of color to serve in that role.

Appointed in 2009 by President Barack Obama, Grey serves on the board of directors of the Legal Services Corporation, a nonprofit organization that promotes equal access to justice and the nation’s single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans.

Grey joined Hunton Andrews Kurth’s predecessor firm, Hunton & Williams, as a partner in 2002 and represented businesses in administrative, regulatory and legislative matters. He is actively involved in the firm’s biannual Minority Attorney retreats and regularly mentors minority associates, counsel and partners. Additionally, Grey is credited with creating the Oneness affinity group, a networking group designed to foster the growth of firm minority lawyers.