54 Lawyers in the fields of family and labour law are often at the forefront of some of the key fights for LGBTQ+ equality, however businesses also have enormous power to drive change – in particular when it comes to affording equalizing benefits in the workplace, and using their economic and social sway to influence government policy and change in society. Much is made of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) these days and its role in law, how active are you / your law firm in this area? Roy: I’m really thrilled by our leadership in this arena. Our CEO John Hensien and leadership team more broadly have such a visible commitment in this space. We have dedicated resource groups to support everyone in the firm, attorneys and staff. And we have made a concerted effort to weave DEI education into all of our external marketing messaging. The firm rolled out allyship training firm wide in the last couple of years, requiring all to attend. The conversations were robust and thoughtful and energizing. We have pursued and achieved Mansfield certification multiple years in a row, and our DEI videos and external content have received hundreds of thousands of views. The team I am privileged to lead has been involved in all of these efforts at various levels, in partnership with our fantastic HR team and other operational leaders. It is very gratifying. And, of course, in my leadership role last year as president of the Legal Marketing Association, I put this issue front and center in all of my communications. And I may have brought a drag queen on stage in Florida at 8:30 in the morning just to make a point. I was honored to be recognized for these efforts by INvolve People as one of their top 100 LGBTQ executives worldwide last year. This all sounds very self-aggrandizing to type, but the real point of it all at this stage of my life is to be the visible example I would have appreciated at earlier points in my career. If I can show people that being myself - my weird and happy and quirky self - yields success, while celebrating the joyous life I have with my husband and our rescue dogs is, then I feel like I can make some small difference. Lee: Diversity, equity and inclusion is a strategic priority for the firm. The firm regularly appears in the list of top employers as designated by Stonewall. Jim Ford, a friend and co-head of our internal network, won the Inspirational Leader award at the British LGBT Awards which took place very recently.
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