2024 Annual Awards Gala Honorees
Lucero Award Honoree
Ivelisse (“Ivie”) Clausell is a respected leader and sought-after speaker in the global privacy and data security legal space. She's a trailblazer, passionately navigating the delicate intersection of privacy rights and data-driven insights for better healthcare. As the Vice President of Data Protection Legal at Johnson & Johnson, Ivie leads a team that provides unparalleled global privacy and cybersecurity legal support for the company's operations worldwide.
Ivie's legal career began as a federal attorney, succesfully litigating at the Second and Third Circuits. Later, as in-house at a pharmaceutical company, she discovered her true passion: privacy and data protection. She has twice served as Chief Privacy Officer for pharmaceutical companies and excelled as a people-focused, ethical leader, with deep subject matter expertise.
Ivie holds several certifications that demonstrate her mastery of US and EU data protection laws, as well as in privacy technology, and management. Her impact has not gone unnoticed, earning recognition as a "Legal Luminary" by Hispanic Executive magazine, a "Catalyst in the Law" by the Council of Urban Professionals, and a “Latina Trailblazer” by LatinoJustice PRLDEF.
Outside the work realm, Ivie is a dedicated member of the Hispanic National Bar Association and serves as a mentor to junior and mid-level attorneys. She also sits as vice chair of the Board of Directors of Jo's Food Pantry, a non-profit organization tackling food insecurity in northeast Pennsylvania.
When she's not contributing to the growth of responsible use of personal data or advocating for social causes, you will find Ivie in nature. She and her husband, Matthew, recently walked 325 miles of the legendary "Camino de Santiago" in Spain. It took them three weeks, but after the fun and personal fulfillment of that trip, they are eagerly planning their next adventure!
In a world where privacy and data access sometimes clash, Ivie Clausell is a beacon of authenticity, ethical leadership, and an unwavering advocate on both professional and personal paths.
Pro Bono Publico Award Honoree
Dechert has a longstanding tradition of providing pro bono legal services to individuals and organizations who cannot otherwise afford legal counsel – and we are immensely grateful for the opportunity to partner with LatinoJustice PRLDEF in that effort.
Over the years, Dechert has worked with LatinoJustice PRLEDEF on multiple projects, including cases to protect the right to vote. In 2016, Dechert and LatinoJustice PRLDEF, in collaboration with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, sued the NYC Board of Elections for denying absentee ballots to registered voters who had been removed from the voter rolls without their knowledge. Together, we won emergency relief and ultimately the NYC Board of Elections entered into a consent decree to improve and standardize their voter list maintenance practices. In 2017, Dechert and LatinoJustice PRLDEF brought suit against the New York State Board of Elections under the National Voter Registration Act in order to restore the voting rights of more than one million inactive New York voters who had been removed from the active voter list. The judge found extensive evidence that New York’s practice of moving voters to “inactive” status based on a single piece of returned election mail resulted in tens of thousands of voters improperly moved to “inactive” status due to widespread postal service errors. The judge found that the refusal to include the names of inactive voters on lists used at polling places caused disenfranchisement, confusion, and delay for voters across New York. In 2023, Dechert teamed up with LatinoJustice PRLDEF again to represent CASA in an action which charged that the York County Board of Elections in Pennsylvania was failing to honor its language access obligations under the Voting Rights Act. The County settled, in an agreement that called for providing Spanish speakers with election materials and assistance in their language for the next five years.
Most recently, we are partnering with LatinoJustice PRLDEF in a class action alleging that the Nassau County Police Department violated its obligations under federal law to provide timely, meaningful and competent language assistance to limited English proficient community members. Dechert is proud to work with LatinoJustice PRLDEF and support its mission of advancing equity and justice for Latinx communities.
Founded in 2014, La Colmena is a non-profit, Immigrant and worker rights center based in Staten Island, NY. Our mission is to empower the Immigrant workers through education, culture, organizing, and economic development. La Colmena has worked tirelessly to provide the Staten Island immigrant community with the knowledge, services and resources it needs to thrive. La Colmena has become the go-to organization for immigrant workers on the Island through its work and commitment to improve the quality of life for its community. We have consistently provided the community with training, job placements, referrals and resources prior, during and post the COVID-19 pandemic. La Colmena aims to recognize, amplify and invest in the collective power of our immigrant community of Staten Island.