Rene Perras Interviews Legal Leaders at Shades of Mass 2025 Annual Convention in Los Angeles
The multi-day event brought together prominent civil-justice attorneys, judges, and policymakers to address systemic inequities and celebrate diversity in mass-tort and consumer-protection law.
Los Angeles, CA, Oct. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coffee with Q Media correspondent Rene Perras collaborated with co-host Kami Ayyagari as Rene traveled to Los Angeles for the 4th Annual Shades of Mass (SOM) convention, held at the JW Marriott LA LIVE. The multi-day event brought together prominent civil-justice attorneys, judges, and policymakers to address systemic inequities and celebrate diversity in mass-tort and consumer-protection law.
Co-Founders: Ben Crump (left) - Fu Debrosse (Right)
Championing Representation in Consumer Justice
In the interview, Perras explained that Shades of Mass was founded to strengthen representation for communities of color in major civil-litigation cases.
“Black and brown communities have historically borne the brunt of corporate misconduct—faulty products, environmental hazards, and systemic neglect—yet are under-represented in the courtroom,” said Perras.
SOM’s mission is to empower more Black and Brown attorneys to lead mass-tort and consumer-justice cases, ensuring balanced representation while holding corporations and insurers accountable.
Judicial and Legal Luminaries in Attendance
This year’s event featured an extraordinary roster of active and retired judges, including:
- Judge Michelle Childs, U.S. Court of Appeals (D.C. Circuit)
- Senior Judge William H. Orrick, Northern District of California
- Judge David Cunningham, L.A. County Superior Court
- Chief Judge Philip S. Gutierrez (ret.), Central District of California
- Judge Denise Langford Morris (ret.), Oakland County Circuit Court
- Judge Vanessa Gilmore (ret.), Southern District of Texas
- Judges Randa M. Trapp and Glenda Sanders (ret.)
Notable plaintiff-bar attendees included Larry Taylor (The Cochran Firm), Diandra “Fu” Dubrosse (Dicello Levitt), Former SC Senator Marlon E. Kimpson (Motley Rice), Priscilla Jimenez (Kline Spector), Shreedhar Patel (Simon Greenstone Panatier), LaRuby May (May & Jung), Gregory Cade (Environmental Litigation Group P.C.), and Carl Solomon (Solomon Law Group).
Leadership and Legacy
Outgoing SOM President Ben Crump—often called Black America’s Attorney General—was honored for his landmark work representing families in the George Floyd and Breonna Taylor cases, as well as the landmark case of Henrietta Lacks family in their historic settlement.
Incoming President Navan Ward (Beasley Allen, Montgomery AL) will assume leadership in 2026, continuing SOM’s mission of mentorship and advocacy.
Powerful Voices for Justice
Day one opened with a Presidential Awards Luncheon featuring Attorneys General Raúl Torrez (NM) and Aaron Ford (NV).—both were honored for their commitment to justice. Attorney General Rob Bonta made an appearance on Saturday and spoke to everyone in attendance about the current legal environment demanding constant vigilance.
The three AG’s are part of a coalition of 18 democratic states in support of
D.C.’s challenge to fight President Trump's National Guard Takeover.
The keynote address came from Ebony Thompson, Baltimore City Solicitor and former Marine, celebrated for her role in securing nearly $600 million in Baltimore’s opioid-litigation recovery. Thompson revealed her new initiative to use blockchain technology to manage the city’s 13,000 blighted properties—an innovation she credits to coursework at MIT.
The Human Cost of the California Wildfires
On the convention’s final day, AG Rob Bonta reflected on his Filipino-American heritage and his parents’ activism alongside César Chávez and how meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was instrumental for their family. The closing panel, moderated by Anne Andrews (Andrews & Thornton), Steven Lopez (Gibbs Mura), and Lyssa A. Roberts (Panish Shea Ravipudi), examined the lingering devastation from the 2025 Altadena wildfires.
More than 10,000 homes still wait to be rebuilt, while residents face contaminated soil, fractured utilities, and the withdrawal of federal FEMA aid. Governor Newsom now must balance accountability for Southern California Edison’s alleged negligence with maintaining its solvency to fund community rebuilding.
A Call to Action
Co-host Kami Ayyagari closed the segment with an emotional reflection:
“As a woman of color, I feel hope knowing there are lawyers fighting for Black and Brown communities every day.”
Viewers can learn more or support SOM’s work at www.shadesofmass.org.
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