Today, SIFMA announced Yoon-Young Lee, Senior Counsel at WilmerHale, as the 2025 recipient of the SIFMA Compliance & Legal (C&L) Society’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DE&I) Advocate Award. First awarded in 2022, the SIFMA C&L Society DE&I Advocate Award celebrates legal and compliance professionals who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to promoting inclusion and advancing equal opportunity in the financial services industry. The award also highlights efforts to ensure that the future leadership of the industry better reflects the wide range of experiences and backgrounds in our society.
“On behalf of SIFMA’s C&L Society, it is an honor to award Yoon-Young Lee the 2025 DE&I Advocate Award,” said Scott Kursman, President, SIFMA C&L Society. “Yoon-Young has been a transformative leader in advancing equity and inclusivity both at WilmerHale and in the legal industry. We applaud Yoon-Young for her long-standing commitment to proactive engagement, structural reform, and robust mentorship and thank her for her many contributions and leadership.”
Throughout Lee’s 36 years at WilmerHale – as an associate, partner, and now in firm leadership roles – she has been dedicated to institutionalizing inclusive and equitable practices. Early in her career, she launched the Women’s Forum project, which she later expanded at WilmerHale into the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI). These initiatives helped to institute policies supporting women in the workplace, including establishing a part-time policy for women returning from maternity leave, and created a network offering mentorship, career development, and business development opportunities for women attorneys.
Lee also leads the Diversity Committee and Diversity Task Force at WilmerHale. Under her leadership, the Diversity Committee and Task Force conducted a thorough review of the firm’s diversity efforts, resulting in the adoption of numerous recommendations that have contributed to a more inclusive workplace at WilmerHale and have had a positive impact on the broader community through mentorship and networking opportunities.
Lee holds a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. She is a member of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association, and the DC Bar association, and serves on the National Advisory Council of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, after serving on its board for many years.
The C&L Society DE&I Advocate Award will be presented to Lee at the C&L Annual Seminar in Austin on March 25, 2025.
