Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) and having a positive impact on our society are central to ND Galli Law’s mission both in terms of the volunteer work that its lawyers do outside the practice of law and the clients it serves.  The Firm works with many businesses that are majority owned by women, people of color and members of other historically disadvantaged groups, and many of these businesses in turn focus on positively impacting our society.  ND Galli Law is, itself, 100% women owned, and has been certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) since 2017. 

The Clients We Serve

One of the things our lawyers are most proud of and enjoy is that we get to work daily with numerous growing and scaling businesses, including a large number of businesses owned by women, people of color and members of other historically disadvantaged groups. The work that our clients do is incredible – whether it is creating innovative products and services, providing livelihoods for their families and workers, supporting other entrepreneurs and businesses, or initiatives that have a wider impact in our society as a whole. It is an honor and privilege for us to support their work.  These clients include companies making an impact in a wide array of industries, including:

Food & Beverage, CPG and Fashion

  • Semi-custom and high-end stationery brand that features the art of over forty living women artists
  • Beverage company that makes non-alcoholic beverages and advocates for normalizing alternatives to alcoholic beverages
  • Innovative ice cream brand that makes mixes to allow consumers make their own ice cream without a mixer
  • Importer of aged Guatemalan rum encased in traditional Guatemalan weaving, to promote and ensure the continued relevancy of the ancient indigenous craft
  • Classically trained French-trained pastry chef who now makes various innovative gluten-free products including croissants, other pastries out of laminated dough, and even bagels after she developed a severe gluten allergy
  • Sustainable unisex resort wear brand who creates comfortable but luxurious clothing for people of all genders
  • Fashion brand that makes the first fully compostable underwear and other clothing basics

Professional Services

  • Legal staffing company that has a highly diverse workforce and is developing an innovative new suite of services to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession
  • Business and life coach who works with entrepreneurs and non-profit leaders on maintaining and cultivating their inner resources and selves so they can continue to do great work without sacrificing themselves in the process
  • Accounting firm that has developed a financial education course to empower women – especially women business owners – to better manage and control their finances

Social Impact Businesses

  • An award-winning digital media studio whose original work reaches diverse audiences with programming that focuses on social justice, including a journalism podcast chronicling how people are tackling jail reform around the country
  • An artist who partners with companies and brands to create public art displays to raise awareness of and provide funding to various social causes and communities, especially the LGBTQ+ community
  • Consultancy helping to bridge the gap between industry and academia and promote a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive fashion industry.  Services include a revolutionary web platform that amplifies the voices of those who have been racialized (and thus marginalized) in fashion, illuminates under-examined histories, and otherwise address racism throughout the fashion system

Our Team’s Volunteer Efforts to Promote DEI

Outside of our legal work, our team also devotes countless hours to making a difference in their communities and the world.  We highlight here some of the efforts of our owner, Nicole Galli, and our Of Counsel Michelle Browning Coughlin, who met due to their strong commitment to fostering DEI in the law.

Nicole Galli

Nicole has been passionate about promoting gender equity in the legal profession since she was in law school, where she was one of the leaders of the Women in Law Group at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.  After law school, Nicole expander her focus, volunteering with many different non-profits over the years that focused on supporting and advancing women and people of color, including personally providing pro bono legal services to victims of domestic violence and serving on the Boards of several such organizations devoted to serving domestic violence victims, increasing the representation of women in government, and supporting women and other historically disadvantaged individuals in their transition into the work force, among others.

Nicole is particularly passionate about women’s entrepreneurship and volunteers her time with several organizations that foster entrepreneurship among women.  Most notably, in 2016, Nicole founded Women Owned Law, the first national organization devoted to connecting, supporting and advancing women entrepreneurs in the law, which continues today with about 200 members around the country.  Nicole is also an active volunteer with WBEC-East, non-profit that advocates for women business owners and entrepreneurs in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Southern New Jersey, provides them with training, education, and networking opportunities, and oversees the WBENC certification process in the region.  Nicole also recently Chaired the Board of Directors of the Forum Foundation, whose mission is to advance women leaders and entrepreneurs in the Greater Philadelphia region, and currently serves as the IP Law Section Liaison to the American Bar Association Commission on Women.

Michelle Browning Coughlin

Michelle Browning Coughlin is the Founder and President of MothersEsquire®, which has more than 7,000 members online and advocates for gender equity, motherhood, and caregiver issues. In November 2019, Michelle authored the children’s book, My Mom, the Lawyer, and donated all proceeds of the book to MothersEsquire to support its advocacy initiatives.  Michelle is active in other efforts to promote gender equity in the profession, including serving as one of the twelve Commissioners of the American Bar Association Commission on Women. Michelle also speaks frequently on issues of gender equity in the profession, including presenting oral arguments before the Florida Supreme Court in August 2019 on a gender equity rule change.