Tonya T. Robinson 
Vice Chair and General Counsel – Legal, Regulatory and Compliance
KPMG LLP
Tonya Robinson serves as KPMG LLP’s Vice Chair and General Counsel – Legal, Regulatory and Compliance. As a member of the firm’s management committee, Tonya reports to the firm’s Chair & CEO and oversees the Office of General Counsel, the Ethics and Compliance Group, and the Office of Government Affairs and Public Policy. She also serves as Secretary to the U.S. Firm’s Board of Directors and as Head of Legal and Compliance for the Americas Region, which includes member firms in North, South, and Central America. At KPMG, she has endeavored to transform the legal and compliance functions, better aligning those operations with the needs of the business while building trust and reinforcing her team’s important gatekeeper and risk mitigation roles.
Before joining KPMG, Tonya was a public servant. She served as the Acting General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a legal office of nearly 600 professionals. She also worked in the White House as Special Assistant to the President for Justice and Regulatory Policy, where, among other responsibilities, she managed several interagency processes, including convening the President’s National Equal Pay Task Force and co-chairing an interagency roundtable designed to leverage civil legal services to improve outcomes for low-income individuals and families.
Prior to her White House service, she was a partner at a global law firm, where her practice centered primarily on complex civil litigation and investigations, including Congressional investigations, as well as discrete civil rights matters. She also worked as counsel on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, which marked her fourth stint on Capitol Hill, having earlier worked as a legislative aide in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
Among Tonya’s several community contributions, she serves on the boards of directors for both the National Women’s Law Center and the Ethics Research Center (aka Ethics & Compliance Initiative). She also serves on the Board of Visitors for the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy.
KPMG LLP’s Legal, Regulatory & Compliance Pro Bono & Community Impact Commitment
Since its inception in January 2023, KPMG LLP’s Legal, Regulatory & Compliance (LRC) Pro Bono & Community Impact Advisory Council (Council) has been a driving force for positive change. The Council empowers LRC professionals to offer free legal services to those in need, charitable organizations, and civil rights advocates. This initiative aligns with KPMG LLP’s tradition of community support and LRC’s strategic priorities, focusing on identifying opportunities, promoting pro bono commitments, and fostering strategic partnerships.
In a short span, the Council has made significant strides, forming partnerships with nonprofit organizations, private law firms, and corporate in-house counsel offices to deliver pro bono services. Notable contributions include:
The Council’s commitment to giving back extends beyond pro bono services, as it also supports various charitable causes. For instance, the Council has provided volunteer opportunities for special causes such as supporting 9/11 families, children at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and New York’s own Floating Hospital in Queens. The Council also has collaborated with prominent organizations to foster positive change. LRC professionals have assisted Savvy Ladies with their annual gala preparations, which aims to empower women in managing their finances and career aspirations. Moreover, the Council has joined forces with Our Kids Read, contributing to the “Reading Buddies Program,” a virtual after-school activity that encourages reading among children nationwide. Furthermore, the Council continues KPMG LLP’s long-standing support of the Equal Justice Works fellowship program, co-sponsoring an Equal Justice Works fellow with The Sidley Austin LLP Foundation to address unmet legal needs.
The dedication of LRC professionals, contributing hundreds of pro bono hours since the Council’s launch, underscores the Council’s commitment to justice and community impact. Their efforts have catalyzed meaningful change in the communities they serve, with the Council remaining steadfast in driving further achievements and fostering access to justice.
PBI thanks Tonya Robinson and KPMG for their dedication to increasing access to justice and pro bono legal services.
