Firm Highlighted as “Success Story” in Guide for New York State Businesses to Support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Employees
NEW YORK (June 12, 2009) — McDermott, Will & Emery LLP was highlighted as a “success story” in the recently released second edition of Pride in My Workplace: Best Practices Guide for New York State Businesses to Support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Employees.
The Guide, published by Pride Agenda, featured New York Trial Partner Lisa Linsky, McDermott’s first Partner-in-Charge of Firm-Wide Diversity and Founder and Chair of the Firm’s LGBT Diversity Committee. “In 2006, we revised our Firm Diversity Statement and EEO policy, which had already covered sexual orientation to include gender identity,” said Linsky. “Gender expression was later added as a protected class under our policies. Enhancement of the Firm’s policies required education on the distinctions between gender expression and identity. We then implemented the policy change and educated Firm attorneys and staff about gender expression and identity in our workplace diversity trainings,” explained Linsky.
The first edition of the Best Practices Guide, which has reached thousands of employers and employees, was released in 2006 to provide companies with information about LGBT workplace issues and the law in New York. The updated second edition outlines six best practices for supporting LGBT employees and features success stories from a number of prominent companies, including McDermott.
