“Until joining Vicente Sederberg LLP, I was not familiar with the many benefits of cannabis legalization or the negative consequences of prohibition. For the majority of my life, I was actually against legalization. Since working for VS, my eyes have opened wide and I have learned so much about the depth and breadth of cannabis law and policy, the social justice impact, and the implications of cannabis prohibition. What has happened in this country—and what continues to happen—has fueled my desire to become more educated and get involved.
Now is the time to create solutions that can be applied to public policy and eradicate systemic and structural racism. Being a National Hispanic Cannabis Council board member is an incredible opportunity and the first step in my commitment to the cannabis industry and, more importantly, to social justice and equity in the cannabis industry. To affect change—to make an impact—you must use your voice. I have used my voice to make an impact on the individual level, but not on a broad, global level—which, honestly, terrifies me. This is an amazing opportunity and I am ready to step up for my community and for all communities of color.”
As director of operations at Vicente Sederberg LLP, Fatima works closely with firm leaders to create long-term strategies to improve productivity and efficiency, while developing and overseeing the many processes that ensure the high standards of service that VS provides to its clients.
A legal operations professional with nearly ten years of experience in the law firm operations space, Fatima started her legal career as a paralegal with a highly regarded Denver personal injury law firm and was quickly promoted to director of operations. She also held leadership roles as an intake and client service manager, as well as director of contact center operations and client service. In 2015, she was recognized by Law Week Magazine as one of Colorado’s Outstanding Legal Professionals.
Fatima joined VS in 2019 as the firm’s managing paralegal. Due to her extensive background in legal operations and her cross-functional leadership, continuous improvement mindset, and can-do attitude, she was elevated to director of operations in late 2020.
Throughout her legal career, Fatima’s leadership, organizational and analytical skills have driven her to develop solutions that push traditional law firm boundaries, and she continues to use this wealth of knowledge and skill to continuously improve business processes and organizational leadership at Vicente Sederberg.