COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS
Mid-Atlantic Region
AS A LEADING media, entertainment, and communications company, Comcast Cable Communications, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., is dedicated to opening doors for a more diverse workforce. Its legal department is no excep- tion. Out of the 37 attorneys in Comcast’s law department, 5 are minority and 20 are women. Comcast is a global company with two primary busi-
nesses—Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Te cable divi- sion includes video, high-speed Internet, and phone service to both residential and business customers under the XFINITY brand, while NBCUniversal operates 30 news, entertainment, and sports cable networks, including the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, Universal Pictures, and Universal Parks and Resorts. “Diversity and inclusion are important components of our
company’s current and future success—not just as values, but as part of a business advantage central to our operations,” says Douglas Gaston, senior vice president and general counsel at Comcast. “As a global leader in media and technology, we have a responsibility to reflect the customers and communi- ties we serve in all aspects of our business.” Comcast is a charter member of the Inclusion Initiative,
a collaborative effort of 25 companies across a wide spec- trum of industries committed to building and maintaining diversity in the legal profession. Every year since joining the Inclusion Initiative in 2010, Comcast’s legal department has increased both the number of minority and women-owned firms it engages and the total spending with these firms. Formal and informal mentor relationships provide an
opportunity to identify future leaders at Comcast and to develop attorneys who understand the business imperatives and challenges facing the company. Diversity and inclusion is a component of each Comcast
employee’s annual performance review. Comcast encour- ages majority law firms to assign women and minorities, and monitors their use on company matters. “Comcast is committed to creating a culture of fairness,
respect, and inclusion throughout the company and we are equally committed to those principles in the legal group. MCCA’s recognition is a tremendous honor that validates our belief in the importance of our efforts and encourages us to continue building on our strong foundation to create an even more inclusive legal department.”
MCCA.COM
TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, USA INC.
Western Region
AS THE BEST-SELLING automotive brand among African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics, Toyota has a special commitment to give back. Toyota committed to spend more than $1 billion annu-
ally with highly qualified minority- and women-owned suppliers—a target it has exceeded by nearly 50 percent on a regular basis. “As a result of our efforts, Toyota was inducted into the
Billion Dollar Roundtable in 2005 for achieving at least $1 billion of spend annually with minority- and women-owned (MWBE) suppliers,” says Christopher Reynolds, Toyota’s general counsel. “In 2011, Toyota increased its spending with MBE suppliers by nearly 35 percent. More than 40,000 U.S. jobs are tied to the Toyota supplier diversity efforts, and the company’s spending with diverse suppliers continues to sup- port local economies where these suppliers operate.” Reynolds’ strategy is to identify the best that America
has to offer to create powerhouse legal teams. “Te answer to the diversity question is the same as it
was 27 years ago when I graduated from law school: Talent is not exclusive to a particular demographic,” says Reynolds. “If you want to apply the richest mix of talent to a problem, you must have a diverse team. Otherwise, you’re giving the client a ‘B’ team, not an ‘A’ team. I also believe that it is important for the legal profession to be effective advocates for the rule and operation of law across American society. Tat’s a very important and often-overlooked aspect of our profession. We can’t be effective at it if our profession is perceived as excluding large segments of that society.” Te legal department’s recruitment strategy to identify
a diverse talent pool includes using resources such as the California Minority Counsel Program website to post open- ings. Te law department’s formal mentoring program helps new associates and those newly promoted succeed. “I think the most effective program or initiative is to be
direct and consistent in your communications internally and externally about the role of diversity in legal services,” says Reynolds. “Ten, follow up that communication with processes that demand accountability, both from yourself and from your internal and external partners. If diversity is linked to talent, as it should be, then it becomes part of the day-to-day functioning rather than a special program.”
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®
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