Overview
CHICAGO (November 18, 2015) – International law firm McDermott Will & Emery proudly announced that for the tenth consecutive year it has earned a perfect score of 100 percent on the Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
“I am so proud that McDermott has once again achieved excellence on this survey of national importance,” said Michael Weaver, partner-in-charge for LGBT Diversity & Inclusion. “A decade of perfect CEI scores reflects McDermott’s continued commitment to creating and nurturing a truly inclusive culture for the Firm’s diverse and talented employees.”
The 2016 CEI rated 1,024 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBT-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBT community. McDermott’s efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results in a 100 percent ranking, which the Firm has earned every year since it began participating in 2006, making the McDermott one of the “Best Places to Work” in the United States for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.
“In this 2016 Corporate Equality Index, hundreds of major businesses responded to our new standards for workplace equality with exceptional leadership. McDermott not only meets these standards, it goes above and beyond the call of duty, making commitment to equality a fundamental aspect of its corporate values,” said Deena Fidas, HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program Director.
McDermott’s commitment to diversity is founded on the belief that diversity is necessary to achieve excellence in all aspects of client service. The Firm is committed to a culture that values and nurtures diversity and appreciates its importance in attracting and retaining exceptional talent. To meet this commitment, McDermott has a long history of promoting LGBT policies both internally as well as externally. McDermott in its role as pro bono counsel to The Mattachine Society of Washington, DC, filed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in the recently decided consolidated same-sex marriage cases. McDermott’s amicus brief provided an important historical framework in an effort to help the Court recognize and prevent further government discrimination against LGBT Americans. The Firm’s 2014 Social Responsibility Report highlights the McDermott’s partnership with The Mattachine Society of Washington, DC as well as many other ways in which McDermott used its talents and experience to help the LGBT community.
For more information on the 2016 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.
About McDermott
McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice. Numbering more than 1,100 lawyers, we have offices in Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Munich, New York, Orange County, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. Further extending our reach into Asia, we have a strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices in Shanghai.
About The Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.