Facets of Our Culture Promoting and Preserving Inclusion and Diversity

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1 INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY REPORT Facets of Our Culture Promoting and Preserving Inclusion and Diversity We are committed to achieving and maintaining a diverse workforce throughout the firm, as diverse and inclusive organizations bring greater flexibility, responsiveness and perspectives to bear on challenging issues. The Sedgwick family is comprised of individuals from an array of backgrounds and experiences who are unwavering in their commitment to create opportunities for diverse members of the communities in which we live and practice. MICHAEL TANENBAUM, CHAIR OF THE FIRM

2 AT SEDGWICK, WE BELIEVE THAT LAWYERS WHO WORK IN A DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT HAVE AN advantage over their counterparts who do not because they benefit from the unique perspectives offered by attorneys from different backgrounds. Although much of an attorney s work is conducted alone, characterized by meticulous research and thoughtful written analysis, a significant part of what lawyers do requires the input of other lawyers and legal professionals. Considering a variety of views improves the final work product we provide to our clients. Similarly, it is vital that the trial lawyers at our firm understand and can communicate with witnesses, jurors and judges who come from various backgrounds and perspectives. Our bench of diverse trial attorneys enables Sedgwick to provide more effective representation to our clients inside the courtroom, and the inclusive atmosphere of our firm helps us attract and retain diverse talent. One of the greatest achievements at Sedgwick is our commitment to education and inclusion. An example of that would be Sedgwick University, a tool that we use to educate our lawyers about bias, race and gender issues, which really develops an awareness for our lawyers as a whole. DAVID HUMISTON CO-CHAIR, INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE Mining Talent Throughout 2013, Sedgwick attorneys participated in numerous career fairs, educational programs and workshops to recruit and prepare diverse law students for their future legal careers. Organizations, programs and events we support include: 30 Rank on The American Lawyer s 2013 Diversity Scorecard of the 200 largest law firms. Advanced seven spots from 2012 (37 to 30). SEDGWICK SHINES Recipient of the Chevron Law Function s tenth annual Law Firm Diversity Recognition Award Firm chair recognized with the ames M. Strother Transformative Leadership Award by InsideCounsel magazine Perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign s Corporate Equality Index Recipient of the National Excellence in Diversity Award from Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. Recognized as a top Illinois law firm for LGBT inclusiveness and equality by Equality Illinois Asian Pacific Law Student Association Annual Speed Networking Event Bar Association of San Francisco s Destination Law School Program Bay Area Diversity Career Fair Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom s Career Workshop Bay Area Legal Recruitment Association s Diversity Speed Networking Event & Reception Caribbean Bar Association Internship Program Council on Legal Education Opportunity s Annual Career Fair Los Angeles Legal Recruitment Association s Diversity Networking Event & Reception National LGBT Bar Association s Annual Lavender Law Career Fair & Conference Northeast Region National Black Law Students Association Career Fair Northern California La Raza Students Coalition Career Fair South Florida Asian Pacific American Bar Association Vault/Minority Corporate Counsel Association Legal Diversity Career Fair Western Region of the National Black Law Students Association s Southern Sub-Regional ob Fair

3 Inclusion and diversity at Sedgwick is about creating an environment where all people feel welcomed and valued. We celebrate the differences of our attorneys and strive to empower them to use their individual life experiences to provide exceptional client service. SUSAN WATSON CO-CHAIR, AFRICAN AMERICAN LAWYERS FORUM 14 Percentage of minority attorneys in our partnership versus our peer group s 6.7% (The NALP Directory of Legal Employers). Diamonds in the Rough Over the years, there has been increasing competition for highly qualified diverse attorneys. There has also been a steady decline in the number of diverse students attending law school, despite the laudable efforts of organizations. One of Sedgwick s key initiatives has been sponsoring pipeline programs for minority high school, college and law school students. Each of the pipeline initiatives the firm supports falls under Sedgwick s Training and Educational Pipeline (STEP) program. The STEP program is designed to feed the pipeline in a consistent and meaningful way throughout the firm. Examples of pipeline programs the firm supports as part of our STEP program include: Girls Inc. Girls Inc. is a nonprofit organization for underprivileged high school girls. Sedgwick partnered with Girls Inc. in 2006 to develop an externship program in Southern California called SAGE (Summer Associate Girls Inc. Externship). SAGE helps high school girls to become strong women and pursue higher education by offering a variety of work experiences in the legal industry and areas such as marketing, accounting and office management. The girls leave the program with practical, broad-ranging knowledge of the legal profession. SAGE s success hinges on attorney involvement in the externs job shadowing. In 2013, Sedgwick hosted SAGE interns in our Dallas and San Francisco offices. San Francisco Bar Association s Mock Trial Diversity Program Since 2000, Sedgwick has supported the San Francisco Bar s interscholastic competition of high school students trying a hypothetical criminal case. Sedgwick participated in the bar association s recruitment and training efforts at San Francisco public schools with large populations of traditionally underrepresented communities. We are especially pleased that Allison Low, one of our participants from the 2003 mock trial competition, is now an associate at Sedgwick after graduating at the top of her class from the University of San Francisco School of Law. Diversity and Inclusion Partnership with the University of Miami School of Law Sedgwick s Fort Lauderdale office actively supports the University of Miami School of Law in its diversity and inclusion efforts by participating in presentations and mentoring, offering summer internship opportunities and encouraging students to remain in South Florida after law school graduation. The summer interns work closely with attorneys in our office and receive mentoring and coaching support throughout the summer program. Women constituted 60 percent of our most recent U.S. summer associate class, and 60 percent were ethnic minority students. We will continue to partner with Miami School of Law to support diverse students. Caribbean Bar Association s Minority Clerkship Program Several years ago, the Caribbean Bar Association partnered with then-chief udge of the Broward County Courthouse Victor Tobin to establish this program, which allows minority law students from Florida law schools to clerk at the courthouse for six weeks. During that time they observe trials and hearings and are involved in research and writing projects. Each year Sedgwick helps fund the program. Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program In 2012, Sedgwick s New York office supported the Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Interns ob Shadow Day, which places high-achieving inner-city high school students with legal employers for the summer, by hosting two interns for a day. The

4 At Sedgwick, we promote an inclusive environment that respects and values different backgrounds and perspectives so that we can better serve our employees, clients and communities. VALERIE ROAS CHAIR, HISPANIC LAWYERS FORUM ewels of the Community As part of our inclusion and diversity strategy, we believe it is important to encourage all members of the firm to contribute to our communities and support local diversity programs. Examples include: interns, who were high school seniors with an interest in the legal profession, spent the day meeting with several Sedgwick attorneys and learning about each individual s area of expertise as well as their path to a career in law. In 2013, we selected a candidate from the Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program to participate in a four-week program in our New York office. Prep for Prep Our New York office works with the New York Prep for Prep Program, an educational leadership program that prepares some of the best and brightest students of color in New York City for development and advancement in academics and beyond. The New York Diversity Committee recently hosted a panel event titled Forks in the Road: The Many Paths in the Legal Profession, which focused on the different types of opportunities, including private practice, in-house and government, available to attorneys in the legal profession. Attending the panel were more than 35 ethnic minority college student alumni of Prep for Prep. Sedgwick has supported Prep for Prep in a variety of ways since 2012, including hosting educational programs in our offices and providing participants opportunities to speak with Sedgwick attorneys and other legal professionals. Give Back Programs Sedgwick Los Angeles began its Give Back program in fall 2010 by hosting a Give Back event that benefited the community and engaged our attorneys, staff and clients in activities that helped socioeconomically and/or ethnically diverse members of our community. Many Sedgwick offices have hosted Give Back activities such as collecting and donating food, clothing and school supplies; volunteering at food redistribution centers; and participating in fundraising walks/runs. Immigration Work With KIND Since 2010, Sedgwick has partnered with the University of California, Irvine School of Law and KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) to represent children who have immigrated to the United States without adult supervision, often in search of adult relatives and/or to escape drug violence. SPOTLIGHT POSSE POSSE IS A COLLEGE ACCESS AND YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM that identifies, recruits and selects student leaders from public high schools and sends them in groups called Posses (multicultural teams made up of 10 students) to top colleges and universities across the country. The students receive four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships to these universities. The Posse Foundation named the program after hearing a student say, I would have never dropped out of college if I had my posse with me. The idea of sending a group of students together to college so that they could back each other up created the program that is in place today. We believe diversity creates a rich environment where creative thinking can take root and our lawyers are better able to elevate their practice. CRAIG BARNES CO-CHAIR, AFRICAN AMERICAN LAWYERS FORUM Because many Posse students share character traits with successful law students and attorneys, we interview Posse students for inclusion in Sedgwick s Training and Educational Pipeline (STEP) program to give the students first-hand exposure to the workings of the legal profession, with an eye toward expanding the pipeline of diverse lawyers. Posse students participate in the pipeline program in our Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C. offices. The program involves mentorship and professional development opportunities that are essential to Posse Scholars development and success. Sedgwick Posse interns also participate in a junior trial academy and assist summer associates with trial and paralegal work by preparing documents and pleadings.

5 Active Involvement Sedgwick proudly supports many organizations that promote diversity in the legal profession. The firm is involved with these organizations in a variety of ways, including sponsoring key fundraising events, participating in committee work, providing mentorship to members and holding leadership roles. These organizations include: ABA TIPS Committee on Diversity in the Profession ABA s Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Asian American Bar Association Asian American Legal Defense Education Fund Asian Business League of San Francisco Asian Law Caucus Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom California Minority Counsel Program Caribbean Bar Association Charles Houston Bar Association Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms Council on Legal Education Opportunities Dallas Asian American Bar Association Filipino Bar Association of Northern California Garden State Equality Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Girls Inc. Hispanic National Bar Association HIV/AIDS Legal Services Agency Korean American Bar Association of Northern California Langston Bar Association Latinoustice Lawyers for Human Rights Lesbian & Gay Lawyers Association Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Bar Association Mexican American Bar Association Mexican American Bar Foundation Minority Corporate Counsel Association New York Hispanic Lawyers Society Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Foundation San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association Servicemembers Legal Defense Network South Florida Asian Pacific American Bar Association Southeast Region of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law State Bar of Texas Racial Diversity in the Profession Committee Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California Sedgwick is a trial law firm. At our core, what we do is all about people and how they think and process information. Sedgwick prides itself on the cultural diversity in our law firm that provides different viewpoints in resolving matters for our clients. Diversity accelerates innovative outcomes. TANYA LAWSON CO-CHAIR, INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE 28 Percentage of minority Sedgwick associates versus our peer group s 20.3% (The NALP Directory of Legal Employers). Polishing Skills Sedgwick is dedicated to providing all of our attorneys the resources and opportunities they need to grow and advance within the firm. Mentoring Sedgwick s affinity groups provide formal and informal mentorships to members as a supplement to our formal mentorship program. In addition, many of our affinity groups host annual planning meetings that provide further opportunities for mentorship, guidance and camaraderie among group members. Training Our firm offers associates the opportunity to demonstrate and refine their trial advocacy skills in a courtroom setting at Sedgwick University s Trial Academy, an intensive six-day mock trial. The majority of participants in the 2013 Trial Academy were women or minorities. Secondments As part of the firm s retention efforts, we are always on the lookout for secondments for talented associates. In 2013, we provided a secondment opportunity for a Hispanic associate from our Chicago office to spend a year working in our London office. This secondment helped our associate strengthen connections with our U.K. clients and additional U.S. clients. In 2014, an African American associate from our Washington, D.C. office participated in a secondment with the Office of the State s Attorney for Prince George s County, Maryland. This secondment provided this associate with trial experience and the opportunity to further develop as a lawyer.

6 24 Sedgwick s commitment to inclusion and diversity gives each of us the opportunity to prove our abilities and commitment in a fair and supportive environment. At Sedgwick, our differences make us stronger as a firm and better able to represent our clients. MARIA KAROS WOMEN S FORUM CHAIR Percentage of women partners at Sedgwick versus the national average of 19.9% (The NALP Directory of Legal Employers). Enlightening Minds Sedgwick hosts an annual Inclusion and Diversity Symposium for our attorneys and clients. Each year, guests gain insights on key issues surrounding diversity from a keynote speaker, followed by a panel discussion and concluding with a networking reception. In 2013, members of the legal community gathered in New York City for the 2013 Inclusion and Diversity Symposium. Our keynote speaker was Stephen Young, author of Micromessaging: Why Great Leadership Is Beyond Words. Young presented a thought-provoking address on how microinequities impact the advancement and retention of minority employees in the workplace. His presentation was followed by a panel discussion featuring industry leaders who shared unique perspectives and experiences with microinequities throughout their careers. Crystallizing Thoughts To benefit from a variety of perspectives and ideas from the business community, Sedgwick s Inclusion and Diversity Committee works with an Advisory Board consisting of in-house counsel and senior executives at Fortune 100 companies in a broad range of industries. The Advisory Board helps our Inclusion and Diversity Committee members develop and foster connections with executives while gaining the value of the Advisory Board s collective expertise in the advancement of minority professionals in corporate America. Advisory Board members review and provide input on formal diversity plans for the year. Reflecting Equity There is a moral imperative for inclusion and diversity. Sedgwick rests its foundation on the moral principle that working to maintain an inclusive and diverse environment is simply the right thing to do. A democratic society can only function if all views are given an opportunity to be heard. Law firms have a unique responsibility to ensure that those views are reflected when representing clients, appearing before juries and presenting legal arguments before the court. We believe that Sedgwick will meet this responsibility by standing at the forefront in promoting diversity and through our policy of inclusion in the recruitment, retention and advancement of our lawyers. In conjunction with the Symposium, Sedgwick hosted its annual Inclusion and Diversity Retreat. Members of the Inclusion and Diversity Committee gathered with firm leaders to make recommendations, implement policies and set goals to ensure the recruitment, retention and development of all Sedgwick attorneys, taking into account the unique issues faced in the context of maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment.

7 PROFILE IN DIVERSITY DAVID MESA SAN FRANCISCO ASSOCIATE DAVID MESA is a tireless advocate for building a more diverse and inclusive legal profession, both within his community and at his firm. David, a litigator in the firm s Product Liability group who defends automobile, medical device and consumer product manufacturers, is a member of Sedgwick s Asian Pacific Islander Lawyers Forum and handles coordinating and reporting on the affinity group s activities in San Francisco. He also belongs to the firm s San Francisco Inclusion and Diversity Committee, where he took the lead in planning this year s Spring Celebrating Diversity Mixer in San Francisco. Additionally, he serves on Sedgwick s Inclusion and Diversity Committee s Retention Subcommittee and assists the firm in its efforts to retain diverse attorneys. A firm shows true commitment to inclusion and diversity when it does not just talk the talk, but indeed, walks the walk, he said. At Sedgwick, we make an impact and advance inclusion and diversity in the legal community. The Celebrating Diversity mixer is a good example of how we brought together 16 minority bar associations and nearly 200 attorneys to celebrate inclusion and diversity. A firm shows true commitment to inclusion and diversity when it does not just talk the talk, but indeed, walks the walk. He also has held several leadership roles in local and national bar associations, and has served on the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California (FBANC) board since He was the organization s president from 2012 to 2013, and currently serves on FBANC s advisory board and chairs its judiciary committee. Additionally, he was elected to a two-year term as vice president of communications of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association, and a two-year term as alternate regional governor of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. David has been recognized as a Rising Star by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association s Diversity & the Bar magazine for his work in advancing diversity in the legal profession. The Minority Bar Coalition also has honored David by naming him the recipient of the organization s Unity Award. He remains remain active in numerous diversity-related organizations, such as the Asian American Bar Association, Korean American Bar Association of Northern California, Minority Bar Coalition and the California Minority Counsel Program. He frequently presents at law school and bar association events, providing guidance to aspiring lawyers. He also mentors several diverse law students and junior attorneys in his effort to pay it forward. As shown through his efforts, David is a steadfast supporter for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Working in a diverse and inclusive environment allows our attorneys to benefit from each of their individual, unique backgrounds and perspectives, he said. Attorneys increasingly consider a firm s inclusion and diversity efforts when being recruited, and clients place a high value on these efforts when hiring law firms. I strongly believe that a law firm that appreciates an attorney s diverse background, provides support for diversity-related efforts, encourages active participation in external organizations, and rewards those who participate in the community shows a true commitment to inclusion and diversity.

8 Diversity in the workforce leads to a better work product and thinking process. I am a better attorney because I have diversity around me not just gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation, but also age, geography and life experience. It s that different perspective each member of the team presents which provides a broader, more inclusive view to any legal case. About Sedgwick IM HOLMES CHAIR, LESBIAN GAY BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER ACTION COMMITTEE Our firm provides counseling, risk management, litigation management, trial, appellate and transactional legal services to sophisticated corporate clients. Working from 16 offices throughout North America and Europe, our more than 330 attorneys offer clients a local presence with an international reach. Sedgwick is large enough to handle the most complex cases while retaining the hands-on client service approach of a smaller firm. AUSTIN BERMUDA* CHICAGO DALLAS FORT LAUDERDALE HOUSTON KANSAS CITY LONDON LOS ANGELES MIAMI NEW YORK NEWARK ORANGE COUNTY SAN FRANCISCO SEATTLE WASHINGTON D.C. *Associated office Any environment can only be successful when it is based on a thriving collection of diverse members. At Sedgwick, we recognize that a successful law firm is dependent upon the contributions of diverse attorneys who can offer clients the benefit of their different backgrounds and perspectives. Promoting and preserving a diverse and inclusive environment is our priority Sedgwick LLP