Duane Hughes

Duane Hughes is an internationally-experienced Wall Street executive with a unique multidisciplinary background spanning economics and finance, international business, and corporate law. He currently serves as the Managing Director of the global law firm, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.

In this role, Duane spearheads Orrick’s Inclusion & Client Relations strategy and is a member of the firm’s executive leadership team. A recognized champion for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) with a deep understanding of the client perspective, Duane advances the DEI conversation with clients, our community, and within Orrick. With this broad experience, Duane is a deeply valued executive team member known for making key connections, building careers, leading inclusive teams, and leveraging his global network across Wall Street to connect people with opportunities.

Sought out for his strategic acumen, operational, risk management, regulatory management, legal, and sales leadership, Duane has served as COO and Managing Director with J.P. Morgan Chase and Morgan Stanley.

With high energy and a motivational style of leadership, Duane builds inclusive teams to achieve outstanding results. The recipient of numerous awards for his leadership on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in corporate environments, Duane created and delivered pioneering workshops on unconscious bias and founded new committees to drive DEI in the workplace. Duane’s TEDxTalk, "Check Your Preference and Improve Your Results," exemplifies his creative ability to tell stories in this space.

Duane’s current role on the executive team at Orrick has converted his background in DEI from internal to external facing, driving revenue and building strong client relationships through client-facing diversity and inclusion initiatives, including Orrick’s pioneering collaboration with Diversity Lab in the 5-year Move The Needle Fund.

Duane started his career in Wall Street law firms Shearman & Sterling and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, with an interim stint at Lucent Technologies. Duane holds JD, MBA and MA degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA degree summa cum laude from Howard University.