Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the selection of Luke J. Gilman, Mahira Khan, and Miguel A. Ortiz to participate in training programs offered by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD).

Luke will participate in the Fellows Program, a year-long professional development program for high-potential attorneys from diverse backgrounds to gain leadership experience and build relationships. The program gives participants the opportunity to learn from top leaders in the legal profession as well as experts in the fields of learning and development and executive coaching. The program consists of class meetings, regional meetings, learning experiences, leadership lunches, and meetings with accountability partners.

Mahira and Miguel will participate in the Pathfinder Program, a seven-month professional development program providing early-career, diverse attorneys with foundational leadership skills, career development strategies, and tips on building professional networks and relationships. Throughout the program, Pathfinders will attend class meetings, regional sessions, and e-learning modules. In addition to full-class programming, participants are placed in small groups led by a Program Facilitator who serves as a mentor to help each Pathfinder connect what they learn to the organization at which they work.

Formed in 2009, the LCLD is an organization comprising over 400 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners dedicated to creating a truly diverse legal profession. The LCLD’s action programs, which cover the entire career trajectory from law school to partnership, aim to attract, inspire, and nurture talent both within society and its member organizations. These initiatives help cultivate a new, more diverse generation of attorneys who can ascend to leadership roles.

Luke, Mahira, and Miguel join an ever-growing list of Jackson Walker attorneys who have participated in the LCLD Fellows and Pathfinder programs, including:

• Fellows: Shari Y. Mao (2024), Minoo S. Blaesche (2023), Sang M. Shin (2022), Jesse S. Lotay (2021), Jamila Brinson (2020), Marisela Peña Gonzalez (2019), Dawn Holiday (2018), Jorge Padilla (2018), Nathaniel St. Clair, II (2017), Suzan Kedron (2014), and Christopher Mugica (2013)
• Pathfinders: Maggie Lu (2024), Devanshi Somaya (2024), Paisley Park (2023), Brian D. Pettis (2023), Gracie Garcia (2022), Josué Galván (2021), Amanda Crouch (2020), Jeremy Sheng (2020), Shelisa Brock (2019), Lindsey Moorhead (2018), Shari Mao (2017), James McFall (2016)

Jackson Walker is proud to continue to support and participate in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. To explore the firm’s commitment to partnering with organizations like LCLD, visit the Belonging & Inclusion page.

Meet Luke

Luke J. Gilman specializes in litigation and arbitration, focusing on technology, energy-related, and media-related disputes and internal investigations. His expertise includes litigation related to complex commercial transactions, business governance and corporate issues, First Amendment and defamation litigation, international and domestic arbitration, technology-related disputes and investigations, as well as general commercial litigation.

Luke obtained his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Houston, his M.B.A. from Rice University, and his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center.

Meet Mahira

Mahira Khan is committed to representing clients across the spectrum of commercial real estate transactions, including commercial leasing, acquisitions and dispositions of office, retail, multi-family, and mixed-use projects. She represents both landlords and tenants in complex commercial lease negotiations for office, retail, and ground leases. Additionally, she represents buyers and sellers in acquisitions and dispositions of raw land, office buildings, retail centers, mixed-use properties, and multifamily use properties. Mahira handles negotiations with a pragmatic approach to achieve client goals.

Mahira obtained her B.B.A. from the University of Houston and her J.D., cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School.

Meet Miguel

A former litigator, Miguel A. Ortiz leverages his previous experience resolving commercial disputes to bring a multidimensional perspective to representing clients in complex commercial real estate transactions. He works with developers, owners, buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants on all types of commercial real estate transactions, including those involving acquisitions, dispositions, leases, and real estate portfolios for all classes of commercial real estate.

Miguel obtained his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and his J.D., with honors, from The University of Texas School of Law.