Mahsa Parangi and Hideyuki Sakamoto, both vice presidents in the Law Department at Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) have been selected to participate in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s (LCLD) 2015 Fellows Program.

Mahsa Parangi, vice president and corporate counsel, Prudential Financial, Inc. (Photo: Business Wir ...

Mahsa Parangi, vice president and corporate counsel, Prudential Financial, Inc. (Photo: Business Wire)

The LCLD Fellows Program provides professional development support for high-potential attorneys from diverse backgrounds. It is a highly structured training program that helps participants build relationships and leadership skills through virtual and in-person conferences, training in the fine points of legal practice, challenging peer-group projects and extensive one-on-one contact with managing partners and general counsel at leading law firms and corporations.

“Mahsa and Hideyuki are impressive attorneys who have the potential to make a deep impact on the legal profession,” said Susan Blount, executive vice president and general counsel at Prudential and a member of the LCLD board of directors. “They were selected because of their notable record of success, their integrity and their commitment to excellence.”

Parangi handles legal matters for the company’s asset management business. She has practiced law for more than 15 years, specializing in investment management, securities and corporate law. Prior to joining Prudential in 2008, she was a vice president and assistant general counsel at AIG Investments; a counsel at O’Melveny & Myers; and an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton. She has a BA degree from Barnard College, Columbia University and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

“The LCLD Fellows Program brings together an incredibly talented group of attorneys and I feel honored to be included among them,” said Parangi. “I also am proud of Prudential for participating in the LCLD Fellows Program. This demonstrates the company’s dedication to helping build diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.”

Sakamoto is on a temporary assignment in the U.S. handling legal matters for Prudential’s International Insurance business. Previously, he was chief legal officer at Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Company Limited in Japan, a subsidiary of Prudential. Before joining Prudential Holdings of Japan in 2011, Sakamoto practiced law in Nagashima Ohno and Tsunematsu in Tokyo and Alston Bird in Washington D.C. He has an undergraduate law degree from the University of Tokyo and an LLM degree from New York University School of Law. He is admitted to practice Law in Japan and New York.

“I am honored to be selected for the LCLD Fellows Program. It has given me a great opportunity to learn and to build relationships with interesting attorneys from many different backgrounds. I am grateful to Prudential for giving me the opportunity to participate.”

The LCLD Fellows program has trained more than 600 mid-career attorneys since it was launched in 2011. “Our goal is to produce a generation of attorneys with strong leadership and relationship skills who are committed to fostering diversity within their individual institutions and the legal profession at large. Each class of Fellows also serves as mentors to those who follow,” said LCLD President Robert J. Grey, Jr.

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader with more than $1 trillion of assets under management as of March 31, 2015, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com.