Winston Scores 100% Rating in HRC’s Corporate Equality Index for 6th Consecutive Year

Winston & Strawn earned a 100 percent rating in the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) 2014 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) survey, marking the sixth consecutive year that the firm has earned top ratings. The HRC is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender political organization in the country, and the 2014 Corporate Equality Index is a national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT employees. The CEI report provides an in-depth analysis and rating of large U.S. employers and their policies and practices pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

The key indicators that HRC rates include the following areas:

• Provide equal benefits for same-sex partners and spouses
• End benefits discrimination for transgender employees and dependents
• Demonstrate firm-wide organizational competency for LGBT issues
• Demonstrate firm-wide public commitment to the LGBT community

In 2013, Winston & Strawn joined OutServe-SLDN’s ongoing project to assist those discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) or the prior regulations prohibiting gay and lesbian service in the military. Winston & Strawn will represent veterans pro bono to make changes to their discharge paperwork that includes upgrading of discharge characterizations, modifying the narrative reason for discharge, or changing the reentry code.