2009 Volume 2. diversity report. The publication highlighting. diversity initiatives at. K&L Gates LLP.

Transcription

1 2009 Volume 2 diversity report The publication highlighting diversity initiatives at K&L Gates LLP.

2 Table of Contents Creating Connections...2 Recruitment...3 Recruitment Highlights from around the Firm... 3 Retention...4 Affinity Groups Connect Communities... 4 London Diversity Inclusion Week... 5 Outreach...6 Minority Women Pursuing the Law... 6 Fifth Annual Introduction to the Dallas Legal Market Event... 6 San Francisco Unified School District Pen Pal Program... 7 Future of the Law Institute... 7 Events...8 Sponsored Events around the Firm... 8 Speaking Events... 8 Awards...9 Client Spotlight...10

3 Creating Connections K&L Gates is committed to promoting and supporting diversity in its business and workforce. We seek to achieve this through three key tenets: recruitment, retention, and outreach. In this report, we take stock of recent activity on all of these fronts. In particular, we take a closer look at our recently launched affinity groups. As part of our retention efforts, affinity groups create connections among lawyers throughout our offices, and two lawyers give their perspectives on how these communities promote a positive working environment. On the outreach front, we note several projects around the firm, including the Dallas office s popular Introduction to the Dallas Legal Market event. We also report on our recent recruiting activities, as well as recognition for our various diversity efforts. Wrapping up the report is a Q&A with Associate General Counsel Timika Shafeek- Horton from Duke Energy, who discusses the company s diversity strategy. All of these efforts reflect our underlying philosophy that a diverse workforce is essential in working toward one key goal: to better serve our clients. Rick Jones Director of Diversity -2-

4 Recruitment Highlights from around the Firm Harrisburg Each summer, the Harrisburg office funds an internship for a minority law student from an area law school. The program, Capital Area Managing Partners diversity initiative (CAMP Diversity Initiative) is sponsored by the Dauphin County Bar Association. The student, who is funded with $6,000 from area sponsors, works in a law firm for eight weeks. This year was the third year the Harrisburg office has not only funded a student, but also invited one to be a summer associate in the office. Seattle The Seattle office signed on to host the Northwest Minority Job Fair for both 2009 and Sponsored and funded by a consortium of private and public sector employers, the 2009 job fair was held in September. The fair provides law students with an opportunity to meet legal employers and fellow law students from across the country, and fosters access to employment opportunities for historically underrepresented persons in the practice of law. The firm has participated in a number of diverse job fairs this year, including: Boston Lawyers Group/Students of Color Job Fair (Boston) Dallas Bar Association Minority Attorney Business Development Initiative (Dallas) DuPont Minority Job Fair (Chicago, Delaware, Houston, Los Angeles) Lavender Law Job Fair (Seattle) New Jersey Law Firm Group Minority Job Fair (Newark) National Black Law Student Association Job Fair (Seattle) Northwest Minority Job Fair (Seattle) Southeastern Minority Job Fair (Pittsburgh) Southern Region Black Law Student Job Fair (North Carolina) Sunbelt Minority Recruitment Program (Dallas) Recruitment -3-

5 Affinity Groups Connect Communities This year, K&L Gates rolled out five affinity groups as part of a new internal diversity initiative. The groups, including the Asian Pacific American group; the Black/African American group; the Hispanic/Latino group; the Disabilities group; and the Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, and Transgender group, are all inclusive and open to all the firm s lawyers who wish to participate. The affinity groups bring together people who share a common interest, background, or goal. The purpose of these affinity groups is to bring lawyers together to exchange information, ideas, and common experiences while helping to promote recruitment, retention, community outreach, networking both within and outside the firm, and informal professional and business development. The groups are another reminder of the firm s ongoing commitment and support of diversity. Says Jeremy Gottschalk, a Chicago associate and affinity group participant, The affinity groups have connected communities of lawyers from offices around the firm that might not have otherwise become connected. By creating the affinity groups, the firm is setting the tone that acceptance and inclusion of everyone is of great value to this firm. On a personal level, Gottschalk says that being a member of the GLBT affinity group has encouraged a sense of community among its more than 30 members. Having this community, says Gottschalk, may support other people who might otherwise be hesitant about joining the group because the group shows that the firm is a safe place to be out in the workplace. Retention -4-

6 For Harrisburg partner David Fine, the disability affinity group serves as a candid, open forum in which people around the firm have the opportunity to join together and discuss their common experiences. Fine, whose 15-yearold son has autism, sees the affinity groups as a commitment from the firm to ensure that the workplace is a hospitable environment for persons with disabilities. As a parent of a child with special needs and as a disability-rights advocate, Fine believes that society tends to stereotype persons with disabilities. If we look deeper, he says, we generally learn that all people have important abilities and potential. The most important asset of any law firm is its people, and, by working to create a hospitable work place for persons with disabilities, the firm can retain talented employees and cast a much wider net for talent when it recruits. The disability group, which meets by videoconference, can assist the firm in this important goal by discussing ways in which the firm has already made itself a welcoming employer for persons with disabilities and discerning additional areas for improvement. Through these affinity groups, says Fine, we recognize that people have a great many facets to their lives -- facets that affect their lives both personally and professionally. Perhaps more important, we confirm to our colleagues and potential colleagues that the firm respects the ways in which we are different and, indeed, embraces them as a means to enrich the firm. London Diversity Inclusion Week The London office s inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Week was built around a number of formal and informal group activities which aimed to provide information and break down barriers. A series of three lectures focused on cultural shifts in business organizations and the societies in which we live. The lectures included a presentation from a director of Stonewall U.K., one of the United Kingdom s foremost political lobbying and action groups for the lesbian/gay/ bisexual community; and a lecture on challenging paradigms of perception from the diversity director of the London Metropolitan Police. Other events included a popular quiz night, which raised money for the U.K. s Prostate Cancer Charity. The event successfully brought together teams of partners, trainees, associates, secretaries, and support staff, while also exploring some serious questions on issues of diversity as well as prostate cancer. Events such as the Diversity and Inclusion Week are only one component of diversity. The London office continues to make efforts to accommodate talented individuals with disabilities, continue outreach programs to schools and colleges, and continue building affinity groups. Retention -5-

7 Outreach Austin Minority Women Pursuing the Law The Austin office partners with Minority Women Pursuing the Law, a University of Texas undergraduate organization. In April, Austin partner Mary Schaerdel Dietz delivered a presentation to organization members on mentorship opportunities and the legal profession in general. Shortly before graduation, the group came to the office, where women lawyers and legal assistants met with the undergraduates to discuss law school and possible career paths. Lawyers also provided the group with literature on how to prepare for law school and what to expect when attending. Dallas Fifth Annual Introduction to the Dallas Legal Market Event The Dallas office planned and hosted its fifth annual Introduction to the Dallas Legal Market seminar. Organized by the office s diversity committee, the program is designed to introduce minority law students to a variety of legal career opportunities in the Dallas area. This year s guest speakers included a general counsel and a Dallas city attorney. K&L Gates lawyers Eddy Espinosa, Jaime Ramón, and Angela Johnson shared their experiences in private practice, government work, and public services. Following the seminar, other K&L Gates Dallas lawyers joined the law students for a reception, giving the students a chance to make valuable business contacts and ask questions in an informal setting. Due to the program s success, the Texas offices plan to expand next year s event and are considering hosting a seminar in both the Austin and Dallas offices in Outreach -6-

8 San Francisco San Francisco Unified School District Pen Pal Program San Francisco of counsel Elaine Lindenmayer organized a group of 20 lawyers and staff from the San Francisco and Palo Alto offices to join the San Francisco Unified School District s Pen Pal Program. The program connects classroom learning to the real world by pairing diverse students in area schools with volunteers who become pen pals, writing short letters about topics related to the current classroom curriculum. Seattle Future of the Law Institute The Future of the Law Institute is a year-long program for minority and economically disadvantaged high school students interested in learning more about a career in the law. The Seattle office is a strong supporter of the program: the office makes an annual contribution and Seattle partner Chris Hirst serves on the board and annually travels to local high schools to recruit students into the organization. In addition, Seattle of counsel Fred Tausend was one of two co-founders of the program. FLI provides students with substantive legal workshops, career counseling, a mock trial, courthouse tour, and opportunities to meet with legal professionals. Students are also matched with an attorney, judge, or law student mentor for the school year. Additionally, FLI offers competitive paid and unpaid summer internship opportunities in law firms and courts as well as scholarship opportunities. The Seattle office plans to welcome one or more students into firm-sponsored summer internships in Outreach -7-

9 Sponsored Events around the Firm The firm has recently participated in a number of diversity-related events, including: All Corporate Counsel Women of Color events, including the 5th Annual Career Strategies Conference (lead sponsor) National Bar Association Annual Conference (San Diego) California Public Utilities Commission Diversity Reception (Los Angeles) National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) California-Nevada Regional Conference (Los Angeles) K&L Gates Women in the Profession Reception (Los Angeles) National Hispanic Bar Foundation Reception (Washington, D.C. and Miami) NAPABA and D.C. Minority Networking Association events (Washington, D.C.) Dallas Symphony Orchestra Latino Festival Reception (Dallas) Texas Bar Association 2009 Annual Retreat, Asian Pacific Interest Section (Dallas) Dallas Hispanic Bar Association Reception for Ramona Romero, in-house counsel, DuPont (Dallas) Speaking Events International Association of Defense Counsel Los Angeles partner Paul Sweeney moderated a panel titled The Impact of Diversity in the Modern Courtroom at the mid-year meeting of the International Association of Defense Counsel. Judges on the panel discussed diversity in the courtroom and how the increasing number of diverse judges, lawyers, and jurors may impact the ways lawyers try cases. Events Washington Minority Bar Association Statewide Diversity Conference Seattle partners Tisha Pagalilauan and Pallavi Wahi spoke at the Fourth Annual Statewide Diversity Conference. Pagalilauan presented on Addressing Bias/Stereotypes in Negotiations, Mediations, and Client Meetings, and included discussions on recognizing biases carried by every individual and how to deconstruct your own assumptions as well as being thoughtful as to how others may regard you. Wahi presented on Switching Practice Focus: What it Takes to Develop an Expertise in a New Area, and focused on building experience and dealing with new employment realities in an economic downturn. -8-

10 Recognitions/Awards Pennsylvania Bar Association The Pennsylvania Bar Association included K&L Gates on its Honor Roll of Legal Organizations Welcoming Women Professionals in its 2009 Annual Report Card on Women in the Profession. King County Bar Association Seattle partner James Andrus recently began serving his term as the 103rd president of the King County Bar Association (KCBA). Andrus is the first African-American lawyer to serve as president in the KCBA s history. Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award The King County Bar Association recently honored Seattle partner Pallavi Wahi with the organization s Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year award. American Bar Association s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary Dallas partner Kim Askew, as chair of the ABA s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Hispanic National Bar Association Dallas partner Martin Garza was named Latino Lawyer of the Year by the Hispanic National Bar Association. Texas Lawyer Partner Martin Garza was also honored by Texas Lawyer as one of 25 Extraordinary Minorities in Texas Law. Dallas Hispanic Bar Association Dallas partner Jaime Ramón received the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association s President s Award. The award is given annually to a member who has made outstanding contributions to the association and the Hispanic community through distinguished service and mentorship. National Bar Association The National Bar Association (NBA) recently awarded Seattle partner James Andrus its Presidential Award for his work done on behalf of the NBA during , particularly his service as chair of the Wiley Branton Issues Symposium in Awards -9-

11 Client Spotlight Charlotte partner Felicia Washington recently discussed diversity with firm client Associate General Counsel Timika Shafeek-Horton at Duke Energy. What are the key aspects of Duke Energy s diversity strategy? Duke Energy recognizes the value of diversity in decision-making and we encourage a diversity of opinions and backgrounds in both our internal legal department and in our outside counsel. The nature of our business is such that we work with diverse stakeholders and on many complex issues. What is the OGCDC and what role does it play in your diversity efforts? Duke Energy Corporation s Office of General Counsel Diversity Council (OGCDC) was formed following the merger between Duke Energy and Cinergy Corp. in 2006 to devise, promote, and guide the Office of General Counsel s diversity efforts. Since its formation, the OGCDC has worked to refine its goals and develop an action plan to demonstrate its strong commitment to increased diversity in the legal community, including its own Office of General Counsel. In what ways does Duke Energy execute its diversity strategy? One of Duke Energy s values is to continue to build a high-performance culture focused on diversity and inclusion. In support of this principle, the Office of General Counsel is focused on attracting, developing, and retaining diverse internal and external legal professionals. Additionally, to evidence Duke Energy s commitment to diversity, the company s Chief Legal officer, Marc Manly, joined with other general counsels of major corporations and the managing partners of several law firms in Charlotte in 2006 to sign the action plan of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg General Counsel and Managing Partners Diversity Initiative. Since 2006, Duke Energy has participated in a highly regarded internship program that enables a first year law student to spend half a summer in our law department and the remainder of the summer in a Charlotte law firm. The company also participates in another internship program in partnership with the North Carolina State Bar Association that allows another first year law student to spend an entire summer clerking in our law department. Inspired by these North Carolina programs, the company has implemented another program under which minority interns are hired to split a summer between the law department and one of our relationship firms, in Plainfield, Ind., and Cincinnati, Ohio. Client Spotlight -10-

12 What is the importance of your suppliers, specifically law firms, exercising diversity? The Duke Energy law department has set expectations for its relationship firms on their diversity efforts. Meetings are held with representatives of those firms periodically to gauge progress by those firms and the law department itself. How does Duke Energy address the topic of biases in the legal profession? Duke Energy recognizes that there are inherent biases in the legal profession, borne out by the fact that so few women and minorities make partner in large law firms and attrition rates for women and minorities tend to be higher at such firms. Although we recognize that we cannot change this single-handedly or overnight, Duke Energy is committed to providing opportunities for women and minorities to develop their practices across a wide spectrum of legal areas. -11-

13 For more information about our diversity activities, please contact: Paul Sweeney Partner & Chair of Diversity Committee Rick Jones Director of Diversity Local Committee Chairs: Felicia Washington (Charlotte) David McDonald (Seattle) Michael Martinez (Chicago) Elizabeth Thomas (Seattle) Cynthia Ohlenforst (Texas) Ndenisarya Bregasi (Washington, D.C.) K&L Gates is a global law firm with lawyers in 33 offices located in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and represents numerous GLOBAL 500, FORTUNE 100, and FTSE 100 corporations, in addition to growth and middle market companies, entrepreneurs, capital market participants and public sector entities. For more information, visit K&L Gates comprises multiple affiliated partnerships: a limited liability partnership with the full name K&L Gates LLP qualified in Delaware and maintaining offices throughout the U.S., in Berlin and Frankfurt, Germany, in Beijing (K&L Gates LLP Beijing Representative Office), in Singapore (K&L Gates LLP Singapore Representative Office), and in Shanghai (K&L Gates LLP Shanghai Representative Office); a limited liability partnership (also named K&L Gates LLP) incorporated in England and maintaining our London and Paris offices; a Taiwan general partnership (K&L Gates) which practices from our Taipei office; and a Hong Kong general partnership (K&L Gates, Solicitors) which practices from our Hong Kong office. K&L Gates maintains appropriate registrations in the jurisdictions in which its offices are located. A list of the partners in each entity is available for inspection at any K&L Gates office. This publication is for informational purposes and does not contain or convey legal advice. The information herein should not be used or relied upon in regard to any particular facts or circumstances without first consulting a lawyer K&L Gates LLP. All Rights Reserved.