Overview
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK (April 18, 2014) – International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce the release of its 2013 Social Responsibility Report, which summarizes the many ways in which the Firm used its talent and experience to give back throughout the past year.
The 2013 report highlights the Firm’s dedication to pro bono legal work, volunteerism, philanthropy, and the promotion of diversity and environmental stewardship.
“Thanks to the combined efforts and hard work of the McDermott family, 2013 was the best year we have ever had as a Firm in terms of the hours we devoted to pro bono legal work and community service,” said Firm Co-Chairs Jeffrey E. Stone and Peter J. Sacripanti. “As the Social Responsibility Report demonstrates, we are about much more than billing hours – we are dedicated to fairness and to making a profound positive difference in our communities.”
To cite just a few statistics:
- In 2013, 87 percent or 956 of McDermott lawyers dedicated time to pro bono and volunteer service
- In 2013, McDermott committed 85,000 hours to pro bono and volunteer service
- In 2013, McDermott dedicated $45 million worth of time to pro bono and volunteer service
As a leading international law firm, McDermott is uniquely situated to help the less fortunate on a truly worldwide scale. In 2013, seventy (70) countries around the world were impacted by our pro bono and volunteer service. Some highlights of last year’s work include:
- In partnership with the Southern Poverty Law Center, McDermott filed a lawsuit to help 500 Indian guest workers who were trafficked to the United States and forced to work under barbaric conditions
- In collaboration with the American Bar Association Section of Taxation and the U.S. Tax Court, McDermott helped ensure low-income taxpayers were able to secure counsel in that forum
- McDermott teamed with our Equal Justice Works Fellow Stephen Dekovich and the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition to secure asylum for a man who had suffered persecution in Tanzania due to his mental illness
- Working with the Human Dignity Trust, McDermott took on a complex case before the Court of Justice of the European Union for a homosexual Senegalese national seeking asylum in the Netherlands
The report also shines a light on the Firm’s commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion. In 2013, McDermott was proud to receive a 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index and accompanying recognition as one of the “Best Places to Work” for LGBT employees for the eighth consecutive year. At the same time, McDermott launched its new Diversity Talent Development Initiative last year to help retain and promote lawyers of color.
Finally, the 2013 Social Responsibility Report displays McDermott’s dedication to philanthropy. The report features examples of McDermott’s continued partnerships with more than 100 philanthropic organizations. Overall, the stories in this year’s report underscore McDermott’s commitment and bring the Firm’s passion for social responsibility to life.
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, 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.
