Overview
CHICAGO (August 1, 2017) — Equality Illinois, the State’s oldest and largest organization advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) equality, has selected McDermott Will & Emery LLP as one of the top Illinois law firms for LGBTQ diversity and inclusiveness practices. The Firm, which has a tradition of promoting equality in both the workplace and the community, will be recognized for its commitment to LGBTQ inclusiveness at the annual “Raising the Bar” event on Tuesday, August 1st at the Intercontinental Hotel Chicago.
“It means a great deal to have a highly-respected organization like Equality Illinois recognize the Firm’s dedication to promoting equality in the workplace,” said Michael Weaver, partner-in-charge for LGBT Diversity & Inclusion. “At McDermott we are devoted to nurturing an inclusive culture for all LGBTQ attorneys and staff as we celebrate the fact that diversity is a large part of what makes us such a great law firm.”
Equality Illinois (EQIL) was founded in 1991 to secure, protect and defend full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Each year EQIL recognizes law firms that are leading the way to LGBTQ workplace equality and community engagement.
McDermott has a long history of promoting LGBT policies both internally as well as externally. The Firm earned a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2016 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. McDermott has earned a perfect score every year since it began participating in CEI in 2006, making the Firm one of the “Best Places to Work” in the United States for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. The Firm’s 2016 Social Responsible Report highlights the many ways in which McDermott has used its talents and experience to help the LGBT community.
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 established diversity programs and practices which have helped the Firm to encourage a breadth of ideas, experiences, perspectives and insights that are necessary to meet the challenges of today’s global economy.
About McDermott
McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice. Numbering more than 1,000 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, DC. Further extending our reach into Asia, we have a strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices in Shanghai.