Jorge Lopez, Jr.
Jorge Lopez, Jr., Executive Vice President (EVP) and General Counsel at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), was recognized as a Notable Hispanic Leader and Executive in today’s Crain’s New York Business special editorial feature. This piece spotlights exceptional Hispanic individuals from various industries who have had a positive impact on New York City through their professional, community, and philanthropic achievements.
In his role as EVP and General Counsel at MSK, Lopez leads a team of 60 in-house attorneys and legal staff who provide guidance on a wide variety of legal issues, agreements, projects, and strategic initiatives that further the tripartite mission of MSK in cancer care, research, and education.
Lopez also leads the Government Relations team at MSK, which provides strategic direction and oversight on how MSK works with elected representatives and lobbyists to craft legislative and regulatory proposals and ensures that the interests of MSK and other similar institutions are represented in the policymaking process. Advocating for greater access to specialized cancer care has been a passion for Lopez throughout his career. Recently, he successfully led a team that advocated for a new law that requires all New York State Medicaid managed care plans to contract with any of the state’s six National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers that are willing to participate. The legislation, which takes effect in 2023, will enable more New Yorkers from underserved communities to access the highest-quality cancer care.
Focusing on diversity in the hiring process is also an area of passion for Lopez. The legal department recently participated in the Mansfield Rule: Legal Department Edition 2.0 program. Certification under this program is granted by Diversity Lab to in-house legal departments that meet a set of stringent criteria designed to enhance the consideration and professional advancement of historically underrepresented lawyers. Legal departments are required to consider women, racial/ethnic minority minorities, LGBTQ+, and individuals with disabilities when identifying open positions, leadership and high-visibility opportunities, and potential engagements with new outside counsel. Diversity Lab intends to publish a list of certified institutions this fall, and MSK’s legal department is very likely to receive Mansfield Rule certification. Very few hospitals hold this certification.
Lopez was born in Havana, Cuba, and fled to the United States with his family as a toddler after the Cuban Revolution, settling in the Washington, D.C., area. He and his wife have three children.
