La Luz Award 

Nina Orendain

Practice Attorney at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Nina Melanie Orendain was born in Culver City, California. Her Mexican immigrant father and Mexican American mother emphasized the value of education to achieve the American Dream and to earn a living in an easier way than by picking cotton and grapes. Nina’s father, Antonio Orendain, evolved into a farmworker organizer and was one of four founding members of the United Farm Workers Union. 

Inspired by her parents, she received a full scholarship to Stanford University, where she met Mickey Baeza. They married and she joined him at UC Berkeley Law School.

Upon graduation in 1981, the family decided to make Dallas home. They added another son and two daughters to their family. While building a corporate law legal career, Nina was active in the Dallas legal community. She supported the growth and development of Dallas’ Hispanic and women lawyer community, including serving several years on the Dallas Bar Association’s Minority Participation Committee, volunteering at DVAP clinics, and outreach to Hispanic law students.

A longtime Practice Attorney, and as a member of Akin’s investment management practice, Nina advises investment fund clients on the blue-sky requirements of their private placements. Today, Nina continues to be engaged in the legal community and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Dallas Bar Association, and the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association.

Corporate Counsel Diversity Award

Rich Rosalez

Vice President, Litigation at Samsung Electronics America

Rich Rosalez is the Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President, Litigation at Samsung Electronics America. Rich and his team manage anything from investigations to industry-shaping disputes and lawsuits, as well as advise business leaders on strategic, competitive, and brand protection matters. As the company’s Chief Diversity Officer and chair of SEA's DEI Advisory Council, Rich leverages his leadership and experience within DEI to further Samsung Electronics’ push for equity and belonging by providing thought leadership and championing the company's DEI planning, strategy, and execution.

Rich is active in the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association (In-House Committee) and the Hispanic National Bar Association (Poder25 program and Deputy Regional President), where he has focused on mentoring, networking, and development programs. He also serves as a Board Member of the Dallas Hispanic Law Foundation, and he previously held numerous roles with the American Bar Association's trial practice committee. Rich has been honored with numerous awards, including D CEO magazine's Outstanding In-House Counsel of the Year and Corporate Counsel Champion of Diversity Awards, and the National Diversity & Leadership Conference Top Diversity Officers Award.

Originally from rural Ohio, Rich is a graduate of MIT and Columbia Law School. Prior to joining Samsung, Rich practiced at Jones Day in Dallas, and Latham & Watkins in New York.

Volunteer of the Year

Elizabeth Margolis

Associate at Martin, Disiere, Jefferson & Wisdom, LLP

Elizabeth Margolis is an Associate Attorney at Martin, Disiere, Jefferson, & Wisdom. She works in insurance defense and labor and employment. Elizabeth advocates for her clients in state and federal courts in Texas. She received her BA from the University of Chicago and her JD from Texas A&M University School of Law. She continues to engage with the law school by serving as a mentor for the summer bar prep mentorship program and 1L mentorship program.

Elizabeth is very involved in her community. Prior to going to law school, she worked as a middle school Bilingual and ESL teacher. As an attorney, Elizabeth serves the Dallas community as Co-Chair for the Dallas Bar Association’s Pipeline Committee, as a member of the DHBA’s Latina Leadership Committee, through her pro-bono work as an educational attorney ad litem with Texas Lawyers for Children, and through her work on the Dallas Jewish-Latino Advocacy Steering Committee for the American Jewish Congress.