In-House Counsel Share Insights on Diversity Strategies That Get Results

Winston & Strawn, in association with Chambers and Partners, presented a CLE panel discussion titled “Innovative Ways GCs Drive Diversity” on November 12 in the firm’s San Francisco office.

Members of the firm’s Executive and Diversity & Inclusion Committees welcomed more than 50 firm members, clients, alumni, and friends to learn about challenges, successes, and strategies companies are employing to drive diversity and inclusion not only within their own organizations, but also in the law firms they hire.

Winston Partner and Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair Kobi Kennedy Brinson moderated the panel with prominent in-house counsel Harvey Anderson, General Counsel at HP Inc.; Carolyn Herzog, EVP and General Counsel at Arm; Mary Huser, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at Poly; Amy Fliegelman Olli, General Counsel at VMware; and Mark S. Zemelman, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals.

Panelists shared best practices for ensuring their matters are staffed with diverse teams, ideas for ways law firms and in-house counsel can work together to develop the next generation of diverse lawyers, law firm diversity reporting programs they have found to be effective, and next steps needed to achieve meaningful and lasting change.

Their robust and candid discussion on these and other topics provided attendees with several important takeaways and food for thought:

• Firms need to ask themselves if they really want the thing – greater diversity – that they say they want. If so, leadership needs to align the firm’s business strategy around meaningful diversity and inclusion outcomes. 
• Be intentional. Do not just wait for change to happen. Companies have employees and shareholders that compel them to change. This “forcing function” doesn’t exist at law firms, but it should.
• Give diverse lawyers opportunities for increased responsibility followed up by constructive feedback to help them succeed.
• Identify diverse associates at the firm who have demonstrated an affinity and desire to attain partnership and move into leadership roles, and make a plan to support them in reaching these goals.
• Look at where there is bias and under-representation in your organization, and address these issues with awareness and intentionality.
• Corporate legal departments want – and are tracking – outside counsel’s commitment to staff matters and pitch teams with a diverse group of lawyers.
• Corporate legal departments are giving more of their work to women and minority owned law firms as a way to enhance diversity.
• There are search firms that focus on diverse candidates that can help firms increase the diversity of their teams.

Attendees mingled with the panelists at a reception following the program. 

Greater diversity and inclusion is one of ten key goals in Winston’s strategic business plan. Please visit our Diversity & Inclusion page to learn more about our programs and progress to move the needle in a positive direction.