Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP is proud to announce the implementation of its Leadership Equality and Diversity (“LEAD”) Program as part of the firm’s ongoing commitment to recruit, retain, and promote female and diverse attorneys to the highest positions of management and ownership at the firm.
This initiative, which will work in tandem with the ongoing programs undertaken by the firm’s Diversity Committee, Women’s Initiative, and Affinity Groups, has been specifically tailored to achieve Gordon & Rees’ core objectives in the areas of diversity and inclusion.
Some of the key elements of the program include:
- The focused and deliberate recruitment and hiring of female and diverse attorneys by actively seeking out such candidates through public organizations such as bar associations, professional affinity groups and the like, as well as making Gordon & Rees’ priorities expressly known to, and a condition of working with, executive search firms.
- The creation of one-on-one mentoring programs targeted specifically at assisting female and diverse attorneys in order to ensure their continued retention and advancement.
- Developing business and marketing proposals and pitches that are materially inclusive of female and diverse attorneys in key roles to the greatest extent possible.
- Regularly reviewing the firm's leadership opportunities, key committee membership roles, and partner candidate pools to ensure the inclusion of qualified female and diverse attorneys in such positions.
- Emphasizing the successful advancement of the LEAD Program’s objectives as one of the criterion to be considered when determining year-end compensation.
In addition to its focus on attorneys, the LEAD Program will also encompass Gordon & Rees’ administrative and professional staff to ensure that material levels of diversity are achieved in these segments of the firm as well.
The LEAD Program will be overseen by partners Debra Ellwood Meppen, Franz Hardy, Laura De Santos and Allen Estes, all of whom are centrally involved with managing the firm’s women’s initiative and diversity efforts.
“We could not be more focused on achieving meaningful and tangible progress in terms of diversity and inclusion, both of which remain cornerstone priorities for Gordon & Rees,” said Firmwide Managing Partner, Dion N. Cominos. “Adoption of the LEAD Program represents a redoubling of our steadfast dedication to continuing to advance toward our ultimate goals in these crucial areas.”
“We all share a deep passion for this program and intend to move decisively to implement the initiative so that we can meet and hopefully exceed our goals,” said Meppen.
“The future of the legal industry depends upon the recruitment, retention and advancement of qualified female and diverse attorneys,” added Estes. “Through the LEAD Program, Gordon & Rees has taken action to make the future of our industry brighter.”
An AmLaw 100 firm, the firm’s ongoing diversity and inclusion initiatives have garnered recognition throughout the legal profession, including being named a Top 45 U.S. firm on the American Lawyer Diversity Scorecard, being named a Top 25 U.S. firm on the National Law Journal Women in Law Scorecard, and achieving a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index for five consecutive years.
More information on the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives can be seen here.