Committee on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion’s Constance Baker Motley Symposium

2026 John E. Higgins, Esq. Diversity Trailblazer Award Winner

Vincent T. Chang, Esq.

Counsel, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

Vincent T. Chang has served as Counsel at Davis Polk & Wardwell specializing in complex litigation. Mr. Chang is a graduate of Harvard College, magna cum laude, and Harvard Law School, cum laude. Mr. Chang clerked for the Hon. Robert B. Krupansky, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Mr. Chang is a past President of the New York County Lawyers Association and the Asian American Bar Association of New York.

He serves on the Executive Committee and House of Delegates of the New York State Bar Association. He served as the Co-Chair of NYSBA’s Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Asian Hate and served on NYSBA’s Task Force on Advancing Diversity.

He also serves on the Board of Governors and House of Delegates of the American Bar Association. Mr. Chang serves as co-Chair of the New York Chapter of the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation. Mr. Chang is a Former Member of the ABA Standing Comm on the Federal Judiciary which rates all federal judicial nominees nationwide.

Mr. Chang has served on the Disciplinary Committee and the Grievance Committee of the First Judicial Department of New York and has served on the Continuing Legal Education Board of the State of New York. He has served on the boards of directors of Legal Services NYC, the South Asian Bar Association of New York, the Asian American Law Fund of New York.  He serves on the NY Commercial Division Advisory Council. He is a member of the New York City Bar Association and a Former Member of its Judiciary Committee.  He is a past recipient of the NY City Bar Association’s Diversity Champion Award. He is a recipient of the Network of Bar Leaders’ President’s Award.

2026 John E. Higgins, Esq. Diversity Trailblazer Award Winner

Deborah Martin Owens, Esq.

Founder & CEO, DMO Strategies LLC

Deborah Martin Owens is the Founder & CEO of DMO Strategies LLC, a strategic advisory and coaching practice that empowers executive leaders—including Black women and women of color—to navigate career transitions with clarity, confidence, and connection. A recognized “superconnector” and seasoned legal industry leader, she transforms isolating and uncertain career chapters into opportunities for growth, reinvention, and sustained leadership. She partners with corporations, law firms, and nonprofits to curate experiences and strategies that develop talent, deepen inclusion, and strengthen leadership pipelines.

Deborah’s expertise is rooted in more than two decades of experience across BigLaw, bar associations, and the nonprofit sector. She has held senior roles focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and talent development at leading institutions, advising firm leadership and partners, and has designed and led initiatives that increased engagement in professional development programs, launched client development opportunities for emerging partners, and supported organizations in building more equitable and high-performing cultures. She is a sought-after speaker at legal conferences and bar association programs, including the American Bar Association, Practising Law Institute (PLI), and Corporate Counsel Women of Color.

A dedicated servant-leader, Deborah has held leadership roles in the National Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, where she previously served in key officer positions. She currently serves on the board of Nonprofit New York and has served on the boards of Women Creating Change and the Youth Justice Network.

In recognition of her impact, Deborah was named one of Crain’s New York Business Notable Women in Law, in honor of her work advancing diversity, talent development, and leadership in the legal profession. A native New Yorker raised in Queens, she is a graduate of Hofstra University’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law and the State University of New York at Albany. She resides in Westchester County with her husband, John, who is also a lawyer, whom she met at a NYSBA committee meeting.

2026 Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Beacon Award Winner

Daniela K. Combe, Esq.

Retired VP, Emerging Tech Advocacy, IBM

Daniela Kresic Combe had a long-storied career prior to her retirement from IBM in mid 2025.

During her tenure, Daniela served in many roles through which she developed extensive knowledge of the business, technology, and the legal and regulatory environment including acting as counsel for Global Privacy, IBM Services, Cloud & AI, Systems, Research, Software and Global Intellectual Property. Daniela has extensive experience working with partners and clients and negotiating complex alliances, joint development agreements and intellectual property licensing transactions, as well as divestitures and acquisitions. Most recently Daniela served as Vice President, Emerging Technology Advocacy focusing on developing and advocating for IBM’s policy positions in emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence. In each role, Daniela led and developed the capabilities of teams of lawyers and other professionals globally.

Daniela first joined IBM as an attorney in Kingston, N.Y. in 1989, working in IBM’s Data Systems Division, which was responsible for development and manufacturing of IBM’s midrange servers. Daniela’s first executive position was as Senior Counsel for IBM’s Microelectronics Division where she specialized in negotiating transactions in the semiconductor area.

Until her retirement, Daniela served as IBM’s representative on the Boards of BSA, The Software Alliance, the leading advocate for the global software industry before governments and in the international marketplace, and the Open Invention Network, which is a patent non-aggression community focused on supporting freedom of action in Linux and Linux-related systems and applications to enable higher levels of innovation.

Daniela is passionate about developing legal talent and enabling the next generation of legal professionals through education, mentoring and sponsorship. In that regard Daniela served as co-sponsor of the law department’s Education and Pro Bono initiatives and was a member of the department’s Executive Diversity Committee. She was an outstanding mentor to many both inside and outside IBM throughout her career.

Daniela is currently enjoying some travel, spending time with her family, including her grandsons and joining the Board of a not for profit focused on sustainable environmentally focused economic development. Daniela graduated with an AB in History from Dartmouth College and received her law degree from New York University School of Law.