Chairman, King & Spalding LLP

Before becoming Chairman of King & Spalding in 2005, Robert Hays led the firm’s Policy Committee and the Tort and Environmental Litigation group. He is also the former Vice Chairman of the American Bar Association TIPS Product Liability Section.
Some of King & Spalding’s most recent diversity efforts include seeking out minority- and women-owned businesses when looking for outside counsel and actively recruiting LGBT law students through scholarships and other partnerships. King & Spalding made MultiCultural Law magazine’s top 100 firms for diversity list seven years in a row. The firm also received Coca-Cola’s “Living the Values” award for law firm diversity.
Joined LCLD 2009
Highlights of LCLD Participation
Fellows Program
Fellows nominated:
2022: TaCara Harris; 2021: Robert Benson; 2020: Shaila Rahman Diwan; 2019: Naana Frimpong; 2018: Juliet M. McBride; 2017: Steven D. Park; 2016: Antonio E. Lewis; 2015: Merritt E. McAlister; 2014: Silvia M. Marchili; 2013: Lauren Reeder McClurg; 2012: Marian J. Lee; 2011: Jaron R. Brown
Pathfinder Program
Pathfinders selected:
2022: Mark Villapando, Christian Craft-Ellison; 2021: Alejandra Apecechea, Ariel Emmanuel; 2020: Shalin Sheth, Nicole Fukuoka; 2019: Marissa Coleman; 2018: TaCara Harris, Rebeca Ojeda
1L LCLD Scholars Program
Scholars hosted:
2022: Xinran Chen, Jianing He, Lauryn Morris, Michael Day, Ashley Justice, Ju Ly Choi, Seung Hwan Jwa, Chloe Barr, Walter Musgrave San Pedro, Joshua Goldstein, Michelle Kim, Ansheng Peng, Navjit Sekhon, Narisa Abhasakun, Kelly Leena Dai, Hutchinson Fann, Victor de Oliveira Leite; 2021: Tyler Easley, Marissa Grabowski, Marcia Foti, Riley Segars, Archie Wilson, Marcela Interiano, Hyun Suk Kwon, Alton Mathew, Frank Cunningham; 2020: Margaret Shin, Jessica Fong, Tianxing (Vincent) Lan, Frank Zhang, Lauren Shapiro, Gladys Morales; 2019: Adam Basner, Andrew Mettry, Melissa Lin, Justin Henderson, Sophia Harms, Hunter McGhee; 2018: Amanda Bradley, Juliana Mesa, Jessica Rennert; 2017: Ahsin Azim, Peter Diaz; 2016: Luke Apfeld, Christina Kung, Ariana Shaffer; 2015: Valecia Battle, JingJing Lin, Kendra Mells, Hannah Clark, Zahed A. Haseeb; 2014: Mavara Agha, Lauren Kim, Ruby Hong, NaiTasha Webb-Prather; 2013: David Kim; 2012: Shifali Baliga
Success in Law School Mentoring Program
Mentors provided: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012
Attendance
Annual Meeting (2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014)
Member: Robert Hays
Diversity Professionals: Caroline Abney, Harold Franklin
Communications: Micheline Tang