SAG-AFTRA Executive Director David White Named Langston Bar Association Lawyer of the Year

  On Feb. 8, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator David White will be honored by The John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles with its Lawyer of the Year Award at the 2014 Installation and Awards Gala.

Langston is the oldest and largest African-American bar association in California. Its annual event honors lawyers, judges and corporate, community and academic leaders who have provided service to the legal community and the community at large. Previous honorees include Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey, Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson Jr., basketball legend and philanthropist Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and actor/community activist Blair Underwood.

Said White, “I remember well how members of the Langston Bar welcomed me into the fold when I first began my law career. I am deeply honored and grateful to receive this award. The Langston Bar is an extraordinary organization with a rich tradition of excellence, professional support and community service, and I look forward to celebrating with my fellow honorees.”

White is a graduate of Stanford Law School and a Rhodes scholar. He is the current chair of the board of trustees of the SAG-Producers Pension & Health Plans, a member and former chair of the board of trustees at his alma mater, Grinnell College, a member and former vice chair of the Industry Advancement and Cooperative Fund and a former labor and employment attorney at O'Melveny & Myers LLP. He also serves as a trustee of the AFTRA Health & Retirement Funds, and as a board member of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, the SAG Foundation, The Actors Fund and Volunteers of America – Greater Los Angeles. Previously, he served as a Los Angeles Area commissioner for urban planning and development. He has been a contributing writer for Los Angeles Lawyer magazine and has served as a frequent commentator on entertainment industry trends for numerous national and industry publications and radio shows. He has received numerous awards throughout his career, including, in 2010, being named Entertainment, Sports & Art Law Section Attorney of the Year by the National Bar Association.

In addition to White, this year’s honorees include Excellence in Academia Award: Gary C. Williams, professor of law, Loyola Law School; Corporate Service Award: Pauline Fischer, Esq., vice president of digital content acquisition, Netflix Inc.; Legacy of Leadership Award: Nedra E. Austin, Esq., executive director/senior real estate and contracts counsel at DineEquity, Inc.; and Community Service Award: Sugar Ray Leonard, boxing legend, philanthropist and founder of the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation.

White will receive the award at the 2014 Installation and Awards Gala on Feb. 8 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.