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Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Becomes First Law Firm to be Named a Community of Respect(R)
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Becomes First Law Firm to be Named a Community of Respect(R)
Published 10-10-07
Submitted by Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
NEW YORK, Oct. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The international law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP has achieved several firsts in the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL's) Community of Respect(R) program, a program designed to encourage commitment to diversity and rejection of bias and prejudice.
After creating a Resolution of Respect and completing more than the required three activities to receive the coveted designation, Weil Gotshal will be the first law firm to become a Community of Respect(R) and the first organization of any kind to be named a Community of Respect(R) at both the national and local levels. Representatives of ADL's National and Houston Offices will recognize the firm's designation and present Community of Respect(R) plaques at a special ceremony occurring simultaneously in both New York City and Houston on the morning of Wednesday, October 10, 2007.
"To achieve the Community of Respect(R) designation on both the national level and locally speaks volumes about Weil Gotshal's commitment. We salute the firm and its accomplishments regarding diversity and inclusion," said Joel Levy, ADL New York Regional Director.
A pioneer in the area of diversity within the legal industry, Weil Gotshal developed a firm-wide diversity training program and adopted a formal diversity policy in 1984. Today, the firm continues to develop groundbreaking programs to foster inclusion and encourage diversity at all levels of the organization. In addition to mandatory diversity training for all employees, the firm created a firm-wide diversity committee to enhance fulfillment of its commitment to diversity, hosts a bi-annual multicultural week, held simultaneously in all domestic and international offices, and established innovative affinity groups to nurture women, black, Asian, Hispanic, and gay/lesbian attorneys.
Among the tasks Weil Gotshal completed to earn the national Community of Respect(R) designation, the firm developed and hosted a panel of clients who shared their insights into diversity challenges and discussed best practices adopted by their companies to foster inclusion. The lunchtime panel discussion took place in Weil Gotshal's New York office and was viewed via satellite by attorneys in the firm's Houston, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Miami, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. offices. The firm's Houston office also warrants special recognition for its achievements. Attorneys and staff in Houston created a committee to plan year-round diversity related events for the office. Programs have included a presentation on hate crimes, creation of a map reflecting the geographic diversity of employees' backgrounds, and a family sharing the experience of raising an adopted African American daughter in a white Jewish home.
"Weil Gotshal has a long-term commitment in the area of diversity. Being named a Community of Respect(R) is an important honor for us, as it reflects the values we hold dear and seek to promote at our law firm," said Bob Sugarman, a partner in Weil Gotshal's New York office and a member of ADL's Board of Directors at the national level. "The Anti-Defamation League has for many years been a stalwart advocate for tolerance, mutual respect and understanding, and the eradication of bias and prejudice. So it is a great honor for our law firm and a wonderful statement about the diligence and determination of our management throughout the years in creating and maintaining a diverse and respectful workplace."
