THOMAS L. SAGER AWA R D BEVERIDGE & DIAMOND


Ben Wilson Mid-Atlantic Region


FOR THE LAST 40 years Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. has kept pace with changes in the environmental legal land- scape. T e Washington, D.C.-based fi rm also prides itself on being a pacesetter through its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Achieving that goal required signifi cant introspection


and adjustment to its recruiting strategy. It would no longer recruit almost exclusively from top 10 law schools, require law review work, or experience as a federal judicial clerk. Creating a path for diversity has meant broadening its recruitment net and creating more inclusive programs and policies. “Our fi rm had a fascinating meeting years ago trying


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to see why we weren’t as diverse as we would like,” says Benjamin F. Wilson, managing principal. “We realized that we already had lawyers in the fi rm who didn’t come from those law schools and had diff erent experiences who were succeeding. T e other thing that happened was that we listened to our clients. T ey wanted to see diverse teams. “We also spearheaded around other issues related to


diversity, including gender-oriented issues and fl ex time.” Wilson says the fi rm now off ers part-time work to men


as well as women. “We’ve even had a shareholder who worked part time,” Wilson says. “We put it in writing and eliminated the stigma (sending the message to men) that it (fl ex time) was not only for women of child-bearing age.” A leader in environmental law, Beveridge & Diamond


fi rm members include former senior offi cials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Justice, and other federal and state resource and environmental agencies. T e fi rm’s 100 lawyers operate from seven offi ces in the U.S., and represent domestic and international clients in environmental, natural resource, and land use litigation. Since 2006, the fi rm’s diversity eff orts have shown results


including the hiring/promotion of its fi rst minority manag- ing principal. Women make up 33 percent of principals, up from 24 percent, minorities make up 24 percent of associ- ates, up from 6 percent, and the percentage of associates with fl exible work arrangements has nearly doubled. In February 2013, the fi rm received an AT&T Legal


Department Diversity Award for its inclusion eff orts and accomplishments. “We want to make certain that everyone can fi nd a


voice and that the younger attorneys are building on their networks,” Wilson says.


DIVERSITY & THE BAR® NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013


HAYNES AND BOONE LLP


Terry W. Conner South


DIVERSITY IS AN action word at Haynes and Boone LLP. Since its founding in 1964, the fi rm was built on the foundation of collaboration and mutual respect. As one of America’s largest law fi rms, it has been recognized for its broad spectrum of diversity programs that reach all ranks within the fi rm. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Haynes and Boone is an


international corporate law fi rm with offi ces in Austin, Fort Worth, Houston, Mexico City, New York, Orange County, Richardson, Rio de Janeiro, San Antonio, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C. T e fi rm’s diversity initiatives targeting recruitment,


retention, and developing its unique talent within its ranks has yielded quantifi able results including recognition by the American Lawyer’s annual Diversity Scorecard, designating Haynes and Boone the highest of any Texas-based law fi rm for the second year in a row. T e Diversity Scorecard ranks fi rms for the percentage of minority attorneys and partners. Additionally, the fi rm was awarded the 2013 Women


in Law Employment Forum Gold Standard Certifi cation for the third straight year. T e certifi cation recognizes law fi rms for successfully demonstrating that women represent a meaningful percentage of the fi rm’s equity partners, highest leadership positions, governance and compensation com- mittees, and most highly compensated partners. “Diversity is important to our fi rm, our communities,


and clients; diversity make us stronger,” says Terry W. Conner, managing partner. Haynes and Boone’s 2013 fall associate class is the largest


to date with 48 percent minority representation and 52 per- cent female representation. T e Board of Directors includes 28 percent female representation and 17 percent minority. T e fi rm’s administrative partners, who serve as day-to-day leaders in their respective offi ces, include 44 percent minor- ity and 11 percent female representation. In addition, the fi rm’s practice group leadership is comprised of 28 percent female and 17 percent minority. “We believe strongly in diversity, and communicate and


reinforce that at all levels and in all practices and offi ces. But what really makes us unique is that we have so many lawyers and staff dedicated to improving our diversity programs,” says Conner. “It’s really a full-court press, with a focus on innovation.”


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