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Diversity

At Seyfarth Shaw, we believe that diversity – in terms of people, perspectives and experiences – can create more innovative solutions and greater contributions from everyone.

As our workforce grows to reflect the greater diversity of the world in which we live, our efforts to value differences and build a culture of inclusion become increasingly essential to our success – and that of our clients.

Learn more about our diversity efforts:

View our Diversity Annual Report

View our Equal Employment Opportunity policy

Achievements

Diversity Summit -- In October 2007, the firm conducted its first Diversity Summit, a community-building and strategic planning event between diverse attorneys and firm leadership. The event served as the foundation for the firm’s efforts to expand diversity efforts and to support diverse attorneys in networking and business development efforts.

Diversity Annual Report – The Firm has published its first Diversity Annual Report, a summary of our efforts designed to capture the spirit and specifics on diversity at Seyfarth Shaw.

Affinity Group Formation – Attorney affinity groups have been started. These groups serve as voluntary support networks, designed to create a more inclusive culture and work environment, and to help identify solutions and strategies that support the Firm’s diversity efforts. Attorney affinity groups have been formed for African-American, Asian-American, LGBT and women’s interests.

Firm-Wide Engagement – Built on the premise that our differences are what unite us, the Firm has begun a national diversity communications and training program, open to all attorneys and staff.

Leadership in Action -- Seyfarth attorneys continue to take on leadership roles in affinity bar associations. Most recently, three of our attorneys have been named to key roles in National Asian-Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), National Lesbian and Gay Bar Association (NLGBA) and Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA).

Accolades

Seyfarth continues to gain recognition for its diversity efforts. We are proud to have been honored for excellence by prominent organizations, including:

Responsibility

Diversity efforts at Seyfarth are led by members of our Executive Committee. Our network of national and local Diversity Action Teams includes attorneys and staff members from all offices. The national team is responsible for overall planning, progress and integration of our efforts. Each local team develops customized plans, activities and local outreach. Overall progress is reviewed each quarter by the Firm’s Executive Committee.

Attorney affinity groups at Seyfarth Shaw serve as voluntary support networks, designed to create a more inclusive culture and work environment, and to help identify solutions and strategies that support the Firm’s diversity efforts. Groups have been formed for African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic, LGBT and women’s interests.

Our affinity groups help their members and our firm by:

  • acting as a resource regarding issues related to diversity, such as recruiting and retention;
  • providing better access to informal information that may help Seyfarth attorneys achieve success;
  • providing input regarding training, client development and marketing;
  • offering professional development opportunities;
  • enhancing the work environment, and fostering an inclusive atmosphere;
  • facilitating communication among Firm members and leadership.

Affinity Groups

Attorney affinity groups at Seyfarth Shaw serve as voluntary support networks, designed to create a more inclusive culture and work environment, and to help identify solutions and strategies that support the Firm’s diversity efforts. Groups have been formed for African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic, LGBT and women’s interests.

Our affinity groups help their members and our firm by:

  • acting as a resource regarding issues related to diversity, such as recruiting and retention;
  • providing better access to informal information that may help Seyfarth attorneys achieve success;
  • providing input regarding training, client development and marketing;
  • offering professional development opportunities;
  • enhancing the work environment, and fostering an inclusive atmosphere;
  • facilitating communication among Firm members and leadership.

African-American Affinity Group

The African-American Affinity Group (which we call "A+") has created a business development and client outreach group, and has outlined an internal lawyer development program. The Group has developed a database of over 60 client contacts and represented the Firm successfully in both national and local bar associations and programs including The 83rd Annual Gertrude E. Rush Awards in Chicago and the National Bar Association’s 83rd Annual Conference in Houston.

Asian-American Affinity Group

The Asian American Affinity Group’s mission is to:

  • promote professional development, mentoring relationships, and business opportunities for Seyfarth Shaw’s Asian American attorneys; and
  • develop mentorship and pipeline programs for Asian American law students and undergraduate students.

Group member Andy Hahn, litigation partner in our New York office, serves as president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

Hispanic Affinity Group

The Hispanic Attorney Affinity Group has 4 key objectives:

  • to strengthen our relationships with organizations such as the HNBA, and among our clients with Hispanic interests, as a diverse law firm that strives to advance the recruitment , retention, and promotion of Hispanic Americans;
  • to show our support of Hispanics, ensuring their full access and participation in the legal system and furthering our shared goal of diversity in the workplace. Our active participation in Hispanic organizations are also opportunities to identify Hispanic candidates to the Firm’s recruitment committee;
  • to contribute to the HNBA’s CLE programs and use these and other convention events to showcase Seyfarth’s comprehensive solutions to management workplace legal problems that go beyond traditional legal needs (e.g. Seyfarth Shaw at Work); and,
  • to meet with in-house counsel and other professionals at the convention who represent existing and potential clients with whom we share a commitment towards the HNBA.

LGBT Affinity Group

The LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender) Affinity Group has been active for more than a year and has focused its efforts on:

  • working in partnership with leading LGBT non-profit organizations or national events, conferences and/or pro bono efforts; and
  • developing potential marketing and business development efforts for the members of the group and the work that they do.

A core group of LGBT Affinity Group members worked over the past two years on the Firm’s submission to the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index. The seventh annual Corporate Equality Index rates 583 businesses on a scale from 0 to 100 percent on their treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors. Only 64 firms scored a perfect score for the 2009 index, including Seyfarth Shaw.

This is a result of two years of affirmatively addressing LGBT issues in our diversity efforts, including our hiring practices. The survey is nationally recognized as the litmus test for “best places to work” for LGBT people, and will be a national marketing tool we can use to increase our national profile as a leader in diversity efforts.

Seyfarth Women’s Network Affinity Group

The Seyfarth Women’s Network, headed by a national leadership team from all U.S. offices, has identified goals for the group that focus on greater retention of women attorneys, and the promotion of more women attorneys in the Firm to partnership and leadership positions.

The group’s recent efforts have included an evaluation of key policies and practices that most greatly impact the retention of women attorneys. The group has focused on increasing communications among women attorneys across the Firm, developing greater opportunities for sharing best practices, and providing tools and resources to assist in business development efforts.

Each Office has organized a Seyfarth Women’s Network group to implement the national goals, tailoring them to each Office’s specific needs. The Office groups are also seeking to improve the visibility of Seyfarth and its women attorneys in local women’s attorney and women’s business organizations.

Recently, Seyfarth was recognized for its commitment to help women thrive and flourish at the firm. A recent 3-year study of national firms headquartered in Chicago was conducted by the Chicago Bar Association’s Alliance for Women. The study recognized Seyfarth as one of a few firms that met or surpassed four key goals, specifically:

  • reviewed its flexible hours policy to ensure that alternative schedules are an equitable and viable option
  • materially improved any disparity in the rates in which men and women are retained, promoted, and laterally recruited.
  • increased the percentage of women partners by 10.9%
  • increased the number of women practice group leaders, from 2 to 5

Leadership in Action

Seyfarth attorneys continue to take on leadership roles in affinity bar associations. Most recently, three of our attorneys have been named to key roles in National Asian-Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), National Lesbian and Gay Bar Association (NLGBA) and Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA).

Seyfarth attorneys also are actively involved with affinity bar organizations that include:

  • American Bar Association’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession
  • Asian American Bar Association
  • Black Women Lawyers Association
  • California Minority Counsel Program
  • Charles Houston Bar Association
  • Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms
  • Cook County Bar Association
  • Corporate Counsel Women of Color
  • Diversity Program of the State Bar of Georgia
  • Hispanic National Bar Association
  • Korean American Bar Association
  • Minority Corporate Counsel Association
  • National Asian Pacific Bar Association
  • National Bar Association
  • National Lesbian Gay Law Association
  • Philippine American Bar Association
  • Women Lawyer Association of Los Angeles

Organizations We Support

We also provide financial and/or pro bono support for organizations committed to national and local diversity-related causes:

  • American Bar Foundation
  • Asian American Bar Association of New York
  • Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
  • Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
  • Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom
  • Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms
  • Human Rights Campaign
  • John M. Langston Bar Association
  • Korean American Bar Association
  • Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York
  • Korean American Community Service
  • Lambda Legal
  • Minority Corporate Counsel Association
  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
  • National Employment Law Council
  • New York State Bar Association
  • North American South Asian Bar Association
  • Sacramento Urban League
  • San Francisco Bar Association Diversity Committee
  • United Negro College Fund
  • Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts
  • Wiley Manual Law Foundation
  • Women’s Executive Circle of New York

Creating Career Opportunities

As part of our efforts to attract and retain talented attorneys, we actively participate in minority and affinity group job fairs across the country. College students seeking a career in business or law benefit from the fellowship programs we sponsor through American Bar Foundation and California Bar Association.

We are active participants in programs – such as Boardroom Bound and Street Law – that are designed to build the talent pipelines for careers in law and in executive leadership.

In addition to efforts throughout our communities, our attorneys also host in-office events for young attorneys from diverse backgrounds. Whether the focus is on mock interviews or on how to succeed as an associate, these events help strengthen career skills and offer professional networking opportunities.