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COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: “Beyond Mere Words”
With clients in virtually every major industrial country, Kenyon & Kenyon LLP knows the value, power and importance of recruiting and retaining professional men and women from social, economic, and cultural backgrounds which reflect a population as diverse as the clients whom we serve, and the communities in which we work and live. Kenyon & Kenyon LLP is strongly committed to recruiting, mentoring, training, retaining and promoting a diverse pool of highly talented attorneys and staff. Kenyon & Kenyon LLP ranks as one of the most diverse firms in the nation according to the Minority Law Journal. During its long and storied history of excellence, the firm has always recognized and continues to benefit from the melding of different backgrounds and experiences. We believe that fostering and supporting a bias-free workplace and a culture of inclusion for all is only the beginning when it comes to diversity. We believe that by creating an environment in which everyone within our organization can feel comfortable to develop themselves to their fullest potential, and thus contribute fully to all areas of our practice and profession, our clients benefit directly – since this often translates into diverse, unique and creative perspectives on the legal challenges our clients face, and on our strategies to help address them.
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY: “The Foundation”
We believe that non-discrimination is the beginning, not the end, of the diversity issue. Kenyon & Kenyon LLP is an equal opportunity employer that highly regards its historical leadership role in the profession and business community. We therefore proudly affirm our commitment to creating and maintaining an inclusive and diverse workplace which does not discriminate on the basis of race, religious affiliation, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, physical challenge, or marital or family status.
DIVERSITY COMMITTEE: “The Team”
The firm has a Diversity Committee, chaired by partner Elizabeth Holland. The Committee is made up of attorneys, including women, minority and LGBT partners, and other professionals at various levels throughout the firm to ensure that its efforts receive the requisite support, and translate into creating and maintaining a barrier-free workplace and a culture of inclusiveness. The Diversity Committee works closely with the recruitment staff, the Associates Committee and a dedicated Director of Professional Development to identify, recruit, train, mentor and promote a diverse body of professionals at every level. The Committee also identifies and coordinates the firm’s participation in professional and community outreach programs designed to support and foster our diversity goals. Diversity Committee members regularly attend conferences and symposia on developments in furthering and fostering diversity efforts throughout the legal profession, such as the Annual Diversity Forum sponsored by the American Conference Institute, various bar associations, law schools and others. One or more Diversity Committee members sit on each of the firm’s major committees.
Diversity Committee Members
Elizabeth Holland, Chair
Jerry Canada
Michelle Carniaux
Robert V. Cerwinski
Anita Pamintuan Fusco
Steve J. Lee, Ph.D.
Michelle Mancino Marsh
Sheila Mortazavi
Joseph F. Nicholson
Maria Luisa Palmese
A. Antony Pfeffer
Marcia Sundeen
Huiya Wu
REPRESENTATIVE INITIATIVES IN DIVERSITY: “The Action”
Training/Mentoring Programs
Firm-wide Affinity Groups, such as the Women’s Initiative, that sponsor social and educational events of interest to Group members
Mentoring program within our Practice Group structure, wherein mentors (all partners trained in our diversity goals and mission) act as a sounding board for associates and staff regarding their diversity-related concerns and issues.
Diversity training programs for all employees, including incorporating diversity training into existing in-house legal training programs relating to a wider range of initiatives, such as effective communications skills, negotiation, team leadership and mentoring.
Firm-sponsored participation in conferences and symposia of particular interest to women, minority and LGBT attorneys.
Minority Scholarships
Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
Intellectual Property Law Education Scholarship
Minority Job Fair Participation
MCCA/VAULT Legal Diversity Job Fair – Sponsor
NEBLSA Annual Job Fair
Training and Mentoring
NYC Mentor Program – Mock trial program for NYC high school juniors and seniors
Community Outreach with Financial and/or Time Commitments
Harlem Children’s Zone/Annual Dinner
All Stars Project/Development School for Youth Program
National Action Council for Minorities
Asian American Legal Defense and Education
National Association of Women Judges
Youth Empowerment Mission
Jos. A. Forgione Development School for Youth/All Stars
Children Affected by AIDS Foundation
Adopt a Family
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Boys and Girls Clubs of America
Coalition for the Homeless
Penny Arcade Children’s Charity
Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation
Host Committee Sponsor of Annual ACLU Summer Associate
Reception on LGBT and AIDS Initiatives
League for Hard of Hearing
Bar Associations and Affinity Organizations
Women’s Bar Association (New York and Washington, D.C.)
- Gold Sponsor of the Women’s Bar Association of D.C. Initiative on Advancement and Retention of Women
National Association of Women Judges
- Annual Dinner Sponsorship
National Bar Association Commercial Law Section 19th Annual Corporate Counsel Conference: Raising the Bar: Advancing Justice and Equality
- Speaking Engagement and Sponsorship
National Action Counsel for Minorities in Engineering
LeGal – the premier association of LGBT attorneys in New York
- Active participation, including serving on the Board of Directors
Asian American Bar Association of New York
- Regional Conference Sponsorship
Asian American Law Fund of New York
- Sponsor of the Admin Program
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
Hispanic National Bar Association
Women in Technology International
– Partner on Board of Directors of NY Chapter
Minority Corporate Counsel Association
- Northeast Region Dinner Gold Sponsor
Recognizing and Striving to Meet Outside Diversity Initiatives and Benchmark Progress
The firm has always been very proud of its ability to attract and retain some of the best talent in our field. We recognize that the best talent itself is necessarily drawn from a highly diverse population of law students and professionals, and that to continue to hire and retain the best talent, we must implement further specific policies which support the diversity requirements and objectives important to ourselves, our clients, our communities and our profession. To that end, and acknowledging that our diversity commitment is and will always remain ongoing, the Diversity Committee has set up subcommittees to formulate and recommend policies to promote the goals of outside diversity initiatives such as:
The Statement of Diversity Principles formulated by the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.
The New York City Bar, Committee on Women in the Profession’s Best Practices for the Hiring, Training, Retention, and Advancement of Women Attorneys
The Empire State Pride Agenda’s Pride in the Workplace Best Practices to Support LGBT Employees, including Employee and Domestic Partner Benefits
and working to score a favorable rating under the HRC Corporate Equality Index.
Selected Pro Bono Activities
P.F.L.A.G.
In the Life Media ( weekly syndicated television news program dedicated to issues of concern to the LGBT community)
Special Olympics, Inc.
Grameen Foundation (organization connected with Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank, winners of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize)
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS: ”The Proof”
Emergency Child Care Facilities
Domestic Partnership Benefits
Family Leave Policy
Part-Time/Flex-Time Work Arrangements
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