GPM Profiles

Henry Wang

Henry Wang was born in Taiwan, where he spent the first eight years of his life before moving to the U.S. and settling in the Twin Cities suburb of Eden Prairie with his family. Prior to the move, his parents prepared Henry and his brother for the relocation to this new society by instilling in them the concept that America was the world’s melting pot where people of all races can come together as one. After high school, Henry attended college in Washington, DC, where he witnessed a far more diverse population than was present in the suburban area where he grew up.

Henry started at Gray Plant Mooty in 2003 and has been active in the firm’s diversity initiatives ever since. He joined the Diversity committee upon starting at Gray Plant Mooty, and has served as a mentor for the Gray Plant Mooty 1L program for first-year law students of color. He is also active in the Twin Cities Diversity in Practice program, of which Gray Plant Mooty is a founding member, and is on the board of Merrick Community Services, a nonprofit organization that serves citizens in a richly diverse neighborhood on the east side of St. Paul.

“The business world is far more diverse than the practice of law, and Gray Plant Mooty is one of those firms that understands the intrinsic and extrinsic values of having a diverse workforce.” 

Angie Jesme

Angie is the picture of someone unafraid to tackle new challenges. Originally hired as a receptionist in 1991, her duties at Gray Plant Mooty have expanded to include project support for several departments, including accounting, human resources, and marketing. While Angie’s determination to excel clearly shows in her work, her independent spirit goes well beyond the office. Despite physical limitations that have caused her to use a wheelchair since childhood, she navigates the downtown Minneapolis streets and skyways with practiced ease. During the business day, her constant companion is Dozer, a service dog that Angie has had for two years.

“This firm and its people have always embraced me openly. At my wedding, a number of attorneys said they felt like they were at a family reunion because there were so many current and former Gray Plant Mooty people in attendance. Those comments are a testament to my 19 years with the firm. I’m a coworker, but also friends, with people at all levels of Gray Plant Mooty. They may not be related to me by blood, but they are family.”

Inchan Hwang

Japan America Society of Minnesota (JASM)

Fluent in both Japanese and Korean, Gray Plant Mooty attorney Inchan Hwang’s international business experience and work in business law made him an ideal fit as a board member of the Japan America Society of Minnesota (JASM) and cochair of its chamber of commerce, which provides support services for Upper Midwest companies seeking to do business in Japan.

“A successful, full-service law firm must meet the expectations of a diverse group of clients facing a wide range of issues, and employees with diverse interests and experiences can help the firm meet those expectations. Gray Plant Mooty understands that diversity is good for employees, the firm, and, ultimately, the clients.”

 Judith Bevin Langevin

Growing up along Florida’s Gulf Coast in the 1950s and 1960s, Judy Langevin gradually came to realize that quality of life often depended less on what one did than on how one looked. Her understanding of the cruelty of racism, which only intensified during Judy’s undergraduate years at the University of California Berkeley, fueled a lifelong commitment to social justice and racial equality. At Gray Plant Mooty, she found a place where her professional goals and personal standards could effectively coexist. While the world has clearly made strides on race and gender issues since the turbulent 1960s, Judy knows all too well that constant vigilance is the key to success.

“Running a law firm requires much more than sitting around thinking deeply about discrimination issues, but I think that everything we do as mentors and managers must be consistent with a belief in fundamental fairness. To me, promoting diversity at Gray Plant Mooty is exactly the same as promoting fundamental fairness, and both are essential to the success of the firm. Gray Plant Mooty has a culture that is very much based on respect, kindness, and the long view. If we can maintain our current efforts to promote and embrace diversity, that will only add to our long-term viability.”