Gordon & Rees has been awarded the Defense Research Institute (DRI) Law Firm Diversity Award for 2005. DRI is the nation's largest organization of defense trial lawyers and corporate counsel.
Established in 2002, the DRI Law Firm Diversity Award recognizes a law firm that has achieved outstanding diversity goals. This includes significant success in the area of law firm department management while also demonstrating a commitment to increase diversity within and outside the firm. Criteria for the award include a demonstrated commitment to diversity as evidenced by a formal diversity plan committed to achievement, sensitivity and receptivity of diversity issues including promotion of its minority and women attorneys.
"The DRI Diversity Award is an accurate reflection of Gordon & Rees's efforts to create a diverse and talented workplace," said Jack McCowan, Gordon & Rees's senior partner and Diversity Committee Chairperson. "We have made significant progress in increasing the number of both women attorneys and minority associates. While there is still more progress to be made, Gordon & Rees is very pleased to be receiving this nationally acclaimed award."
Gordon & Rees's commitment to diversity encompasses both lawyers and staff alike, including people of different races, religions, cultural backgrounds, national origins, sexual orientations, gender, gender identity, disabilities or medical conditions, and ages. We believe that by continually working to live up to this commitment to diversity, we will ensure that Gordon & Rees will continue to be a firm of passionate and talented people who provide the best possible legal services to many different communities, both within our state and beyond its borders.
The DRI Diversity Award was presented to Gordon & Rees at the Award Luncheon on October 20, 2005 at the Annual DRI Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The meeting itself had record attendance with over 1100 attorneys, corporate and insurance representatives and 11 panel counsel meetings. Jack McCowan, Diversity Committee Chairperson and Thomas Packer, Chair of the 2006 DRI meeting, attended the luncheon to receive the award.