Timothy A. Wilkins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Timothy Wilkins
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| Born | 1964 (age 61–62) |
| Education | Harvard University (BA, JD, MBA) |
| Relatives | David B. Wilkins (brother) J. Ernest Wilkins Jr. (uncle) J. Ernest Wilkins Sr. (grandfather) |
Timothy A. Wilkins is an American lawyer who helps lead a big international law firm called Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. He was the first Black partner in the firm's offices in the United States. He also leads the board of directors for New York Public Radio, which runs radio stations like WNYC.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Timothy Wilkins was born in 1964 and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He went to the University of Chicago Laboratory School and finished in 1982.
College Years
After high school, Wilkins went to Harvard College. He graduated with high honors in 1986. He studied sociology, which is the study of how people live together in groups. While at Harvard, he was also the president of the Harvard Black Student Association.
Law and Business School
Later, Timothy Wilkins earned two advanced degrees at the same time from Harvard Law School and the Harvard Business School. He received a law degree (JD) and a business degree (MBA) in 1993.
Timothy Wilkins' Career
Wilkins started his career as a lawyer at a firm called Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton.
Working at Freshfields
In 1999, he joined Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, a large international law firm. He worked in their Tokyo office for eight years, dealing with international business deals.
Awards and Recognition
Timothy Wilkins has received several important awards for his work.
- In 2016, he was named the Minority Lawyer of the Year in Private Practice by Chambers USA.
- He was also listed as the top lawyer on the Financial Times list of 100 Leading Ethnic Minority Executives.
- Empower recognized him as a leader for racial justice and equality.
Focus on Sustainability
In 2019, Wilkins was chosen to lead a special team at Freshfields. This team focuses on important issues like sustainability, protecting the environment, and social fairness.
Helping New York City
One of their first big projects was to help solve New York City's environmental problems. These included issues like waste, using resources wisely, climate change, and creating new jobs. Wilkins later helped start the New York Circular City Initiative. This program aims to create a "circular economy" in the city. A circular economy tries to reuse and recycle things instead of throwing them away. This helps create more jobs and makes the city greener, especially in neighborhoods that need more help.
Personal Life and Community Work
Timothy Wilkins comes from a family of accomplished people. His brother, David B. Wilkins, is a professor at Harvard Law. His father, Julian Wilkins, was the first Black partner at a major law firm in Chicago. His grandfather was J. Ernest Wilkins Sr., and his uncle was J. Ernest Wilkins Jr..
Promoting Diversity
Wilkins is very active in efforts to make the legal field more diverse. He helped start and leads a group called The Opportunity Agenda. This group works to create more equal opportunities for everyone. In 2020, he was named one of the EMpower Top 100 Ethnic Minority Executive Role Models.
Board Memberships
He has served on many important committees and boards.
- He was on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the New York City Bar Association.
- He was a member of the Council of Urban Professionals.
- He has served on the boards of non-profit organizations like New York Public Theater and Equality Now.
- He was also a committee member for the Cyrus Vance Center for International Justice.
- In 2015, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed him to the board of New York City Global Partners.
- The mayor later asked Wilkins to serve on the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
New York Public Radio
In 2018, New York Public Radio (which owns radio stations like WNYC and is part of National Public Radio) asked Wilkins to join their board. In 2021, he became the chairman of the board for New York Public Radio.
