Attorney Scott Lesmes thinks that corporate disclosures about board diversity efforts are going to be a continued focus of institutional investors next year.

Lesmes, former chief legal officer for Allied Capital Corp. and now a partner at Morrison & Foerster in Washington, D.C., spoke Wednesday during the law firm's webcast on evolving corporate governance issues. The program was "designed to help corporate counsel navigate the changing landscape for the 2020 proxy season."

Lesmes, who also served as deputy general counsel and chief securities counsel for financial services company Fannie Mae, spoke of the gender diversity push by giant asset managers BlackRock and State Street Global Advisors, as well as by the New York City Comptroller Boardroom Accountability Project, and by states like California, which passed a law requiring women on boards of directors of public companies by the end of 2019.