Barely six months into his new position as senior vice president and general counsel for The Coca-Cola Company, Bradley M. Gayton has taken dramatic action to increase diversity and inclusion among the company’s outside counsel, telling firms that they must meet minimum diversity commitments or face consequences ranging from fee reductions to outright firing. 

While even he describes this as a bold move, he is no stranger to bold moves. Before moving to Coca-Cola in September, he spent 29 years at the Ford Motor Company, where he rose from law student intern to become that company’s top lawyer, managing a team of over 600 people across more than 20 countries, and where he developed a track record of innovation, not only around diversity and inclusion, but also in the use of legal technology and in his advocacy for pro bono service and access to justice. 

On this week’s LawNext, Gayton joins host Bob Ambrogi to discuss his latest diversity initiative as well as his career and his insights on technology and innovation. 

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