Sherrese Smith, Managing Partner, Paul Hastings
In an increasingly global workplace, the need to become more aware, accepting and inclusive of different cultures, beliefs and lifestyles is critical.
Research shows that diverse teams outperform homogenous teams. People want to live, lead and be led differently.
With this backdrop, there has been a tremendous shift in the legal industry to create solutions that support talent that is diverse and reflective of firms’ clients and communities.
“With our emphasis on culture, client development, recruiting, and community impact, we are creating an environment that fosters engagement, inclusion, and belonging,” said Sherrese Smith, Managing Partner of Paul Hastings, one of the premier global finance law firms. “We are working with clients, the industry and the world to make a difference today for a better tomorrow.”
Supporting Inclusion in the Legal Profession
Paul Hastings created its Diversity & Inclusion Council in 2006. “Our Firm leadership and partners strive to achieve diversity at all levels. We seek to create an inclusive culture, embracing opportunities to know and understand the best of one another. We want to empower all community members with the resources and tools for long-term success,” said Kwame Manley, Partner and Chair of the Investigations & White Collar Defense Practice.
From supporting talent through Paul Hastings Affinity Networks, to offering best-in-class parental leave for all parents, to launching the “PH Balanced Initiative” to support the growing focus on wellness in the legal industry, to its response to the social unrest that has plagued the world since June 2020, the firm has realized the value of its ever-evolving, inclusive culture.
“Following the events of June 2020, it was important that we took a holistic approach to creating meaningful change to support racial justice,” said K Whitner, Partner and Vice Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department. “We created an annual Volunteer Time Off Day and a PH Racial Equality Fund that supports charitable organizations focused on eradicating racial injustice. We also launched an Equitable Education Fund, supporting local schools in traditionally underserved communities, and committed $7 million in pro bono hours to organizations working on racial injustice issues. By looking at all the different ways we can help, we hope to maximize our impact.”
In response to the pandemic, Paul Hastings also developed resources to support its people, including an employee-funded, firm-matched COVID-19 Fund that has distributed more than $300,000 in financial grants to Paul Hastings people and their family members who experienced financial hardships from COVID-19.
“What Gets Measured Matters”
To ensure Paul Hastings is moving the needle within its talent, the firm has a goal of 30% ethnic diversity and 50% gender diversity in summer associate classes. Paul Hastings utilizes the ABA Model Diversity Survey to consistently report to clients, track progress year-over-year, and as an opportunity to further collaborate with clients on driving change in the industry.
As a Mansfield Plus firm, Paul Hastings has reached at least 30% diverse lawyer representation (women, lawyers of color, lawyers with disabilities, LGBTQ+ lawyers) in current leadership roles and continues to use this Certification to gauge progress each year.
As the push for diversity in the legal profession has accelerated, so has the demand from clients for diverse teams and the number of new opportunities for firms to work with clients on progress. Paul Hastings cites its strong commitment to diversity and inclusion as one of the cornerstones of its remarkable growth. The firm has led the industry in profitability growth based on profits-per-partner rank over the last 30 years.
Driving Change
To fully push diversity, Paul Hastings also works with clients, peers and the industry at large. Through a multi-year thought leadership campaign in partnership first with the Legal 500/GC Magazine and then with Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), the firm highlighted best practices, with tips for other companies looking to expand on their diversity efforts. In 2021, the firm launched its latest series with Pantheon and hosted a program about breaking barriers across cultures with clients SMBC and Santander.
By taking a multi-faceted approach, Paul Hastings works to ensure that diversity and inclusion are a cornerstone of their workplace and communities. To learn more about Paul Hastings, visit their website at www.paulhastings.com.
Photo credit: Tasha Dooley Photography for The Washington Business Journal
