Charlie Bingham, Associate General Counsel at Horizon3.AI
Charlie Bingham Jr. is a multifaceted individual whose life story is as diverse and impactful as his career. As he often humbly says, “A flawed individual, but a child of God,” Charlie is not only an accomplished attorney but also an author, self-taught investor, actor, director, executive producer, recording artist, and publisher. His career journey is defined by his desire to give back, his dedication to diversity and inclusion, and his unwavering faith in God’s purpose for his life.
A true testament to perseverance, Charlie’s early years in one of the roughest neighborhoods of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shaped his worldview and fueled his commitment to success against all odds. Growing up in a crime-ridden, gang-infested area, he faced challenges that most would consider insurmountable. But it was in these hardships that Charlie learned invaluable lessons that shaped his path. Through struggles with addiction, poverty, and societal obstacles, he found purpose—and it was through faith, resilience, and mentorship that he overcame the odds.
Charlie’s academic achievements reflect his relentless pursuit of knowledge and growth. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Jackson State University, followed by a Master of Arts in Teaching from Morgan State University, and later graduated from Howard University School of Law in 2008. From there, Charlie built a remarkable legal career that blends deep expertise in intellectual property, government contracting, compliance, data security and technology law.
Charlie's legal career began at a Washington, D.C. law firm, where he focused on intellectual property and government contracts. He then transitioned to a role at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where he provided counsel on federal procurement processes. Charlie went on to work at Microsoft, where he supported two multi-billion-dollar business units in the corporate and external legal affairs space. After Microsoft, he helped scale both Splunk and CrowdStrike’s Global Partner and Strategic Alliance businesses, and today, Charlie continues to drive success in his role as Associate General Counsel at Horizon3.ai.
Despite his corporate success, Charlie’s story isn’t defined by his titles. From working at McDonald’s and as a janitor, fresh fruit and vegetable picker, valet, teacher, and grocery store bagger, Charlie’s humble beginnings and life experiences continue to inform his legal work and leadership today. Through it all, Charlie’s mission is clear: to be a blessing to others. He’s a philanthropist at heart, passionate about raising awareness on diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and mentoring the next generation of legal minds.
Charlie is the founder of the HBCU Tech Law Summit, an initiative that provides exposure and financial support to law students pursuing careers in technology law. He is also deeply involved in mentoring aspiring lawyers and law students, providing guidance on their paths to success. Additionally, he serves as a board member for the Georgia Justice Project, where he continues to advocate for justice reform and equity.
In his personal life, Charlie is a devoted father, husband, and believer in the transformative power of faith. In addition to his legal work, Charlie is the founder and driving force behind Bingham Ventures LLC (BVL), under which he maintains a family-run book publishing company. This venture has published 10 books to date and has empowered his wife, children, mother, and nephew to become published authors. It reflects Charlie’s belief in the power of storytelling and legacy-building. More information about BVL and its growing catalog can be found at www.thelittlebrownbiblestorybook.com.
His first book, The Death of Mr. GoodGame: My Struggle to Get Sober, details his personal journey of overcoming addiction and finding purpose in the love of God. His second book, GoodGame: The Cheat Code to Betting on Yourself and Living a Purpose-Filled Life on Purpose, gives you a new perspective and pulls your coattails on familiar concepts such as purpose, passion, goals and self-awareness. He shares his story widely in hopes that others will find healing and inspiration, just as he did. His latest book, The GoodGame Legacy Playbook: Building Wealth, Winning, and Securing Generations, is an essential guide offering actionable strategies to build and protect generational wealth through real estate, dividend stocks, high-yield savings and advanced wealth protection techniques with insurance and annuities.
Charlie’s life is proof that no matter where you come from or what challenges you face, purpose and redemption are always within reach. Through his work, his mentorship, and his advocacy, Charlie Bingham Jr. is dedicated to making the world a better place—one life at a time.
Genhi Givings Bailey, Perkins Coie’s Chief Diversity, Inclusion & Opportunity Officer
As Perkins Coie’s Chief Diversity, Inclusion & Opportunity Officer and a member of the Senior Leadership Team, Genhi Givings Bailey is responsible for developing and executing the firm’s strategy to attract, recruit, retain and promote talent and to nurture a firmwide culture that fully embraces inclusion and opportunity for all.
Previously, Genhi led the strategic diversity and inclusion efforts at another large law firm for over 10 years; during which time, the firm received numerous awards and recognitions for its progress. She is a former music lawyer and holds a J.D. from Mitchell Hamline College of Law (formerly William Mitchell College of Law).
Genhi believes that creating and fostering more inclusive workplaces and communities is everyone’s responsibility, and she is always encouraging people to learn more and to authentically do more to advance the principles of diversity, inclusion, and opportunity for all.
When not working, you can find Genhi enjoying all things related to food including shopping for it, cooking it, and traveling for it! She also loves most genres of music and serves as vice chair of the board of the Chicago Sinfonietta, an organization that works to make symphonic music accessible to all. Genhi lives in Chicago and is an avid fan of the city’s famed architecture, as well as all the music, art, theater, and culinary opportunities the city offers.
Lateef Mtima, Professor of Law at Howard University School of Law
Lateef Mtima is a Professor of Law at the Howard University School of Law. After graduating with honors from Amherst College, Professor Mtima received his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School, where he was the co-founder and later editor-in-chief of the Harvard BlackLetter Journal (today the Harvard Journal on Racial and Ethnic Justice). Professor Mtima is the editor/contributing author of Intellectual Property, Social Justice, and Entrepreneurship: From Swords to Ploughshares (Edward Elgar 2015) and the co-author of Transnational Intellectual Property Law (West Academic 2016), and has published numerous scholarly articles in the field of intellectual property law. The Founder and Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice, an accredited Non-governmental Organization Member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which advocates for the recognition and fulfillment of social justice obligations in the application of national and global intellectual property law and policy, Professor Mtima is a recipient of the 2018 Public Knowledge “IP3” Award for his work in developing the theoretical perspective of intellectual property social justice as a scholarly discipline.
Tiffany J. Smith, Partner at Wilmer Hale
Tiffany J. Smith has over a decade of experience advising and representing broker-dealers and other financial institutions, including financial technology companies, regarding compliance with federal and state securities laws and regulations and the rules of the self-regulatory organizations. Ms. Smith’s practice primarily focuses on three areas: (i) broker-dealer regulatory compliance, (ii) representing clients in connection with enforcement matters and regulatory examinations, and (iii) providing regulatory advice in connection with corporate transactions.
With respect to broker-dealer regulatory compliance, Ms. Smith often advises clients on newly adopted rules and areas of increased regulatory focus, including the rules on market access, securities trading and market activities, short sales, and issuer repurchases. Ms. Smith also has experience advising clients on the regulatory implications of new and emerging technologies (e.g., blockchain) and helping clients navigate the regulatory hurdles associated with these technologies. In addition, she counsels clients on triggers for broker-dealer registration, including those related to offshore activities and those related to the activities of financial technology companies.
Ms. Smith has experience representing clients in connection with regulatory examinations, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) enforcement matters, and the FINRA MC-400 Membership Continuance Process, and conducting internal investigations.
Ms. Smith often serves as regulatory counsel in connection with corporate transactions involving broker-dealers, advises clients through the FINRA new and continuing member application processes, and counsels clients on the triggers for filing a FINRA continuing member application.
At the firm, Ms. Smith has been active on the Diversity Committee, Hiring Committee, Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, and various volunteer-based initiatives. From 2016–2019, she was co-chair of firm's New York summer associate program.
While in law school, Ms. Smith was a Compliance Audit Specialist for M&T Securities. She audited personnel to ensure compliance with internal, federal and self-regulatory organization rules, and held the following securities licenses: Series 6, 7, 24, 53, 63 and 65. Ms. Smith also interned at the Investment Management Division of the SEC and the Litigation Department at FINRA.
In 2014, Ms. Smith completed the Council of Urban Professionals Executive Leadership Program, a year-long leadership development program comprised of leadership training, coaching and keynote conversations with executives. Ms. Smith is also a member of the Wall Street Blockchain Association, the New York City Bar, the National Bar Association, the Metropolitan Black Bar Association and the LGBT Bar Association of New York; and on the Board of the Legal Aid Society.