February
2021 Year In Review
Diversity
Inclusion
For the 12th year in a row, we achieved a perfect score of 100 percent on the Corporate Equality Index, a U.S. national benchmarking survey and report which evaluates LGBTQ+-related policies to promote LGBTQ+ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
Named Among Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality, Earning Perfect Score for the 12th Consecutive Year
January
We are all Shearman & Sterling.
As a global law firm, diversity and inclusion are part of our fabric, interwoven in who we are and all we do. We are committed to attracting, retaining and developing the best and most diverse talent from around the globe to serve our clients with the insights, judgment and excellence that they expect from us. We know that the continued success of our firm, our people and our clients are inextricably bound, and require that we reflect the variety of perspectives and backgrounds represented in our ever more interdependent world.
Thank you for joining us in a momentous year for diversity and inclusion. Below please find an overview of our diversity and inclusion 2021 happenings
2021 TimeLine
April
Following on from the allyship training, a leading U.K. diversity & inclusion training provider delivered a training session which explored why inclusion matters to organisations, how unconscious biases can impact our behavior and the actions we can all take to create a more inclusive working environment.
Hosted Unconscious Bias Training
March
Former partner, Jonathan Greenblatt, was introduced as a confidential, external and independent resource available to all employees of the Shearman & Sterling community that provides a safe environment to share their experiences. During his time at the firm, Jon co-founded and co-chaired the firm's Diversity Committee in 1990 and helped create the Shearman & Sterling and Legal Defense Fund Scholarship program which provides scholarships and internships to incoming diverse students.
Introduced the Firm’s Ombudsperson
May
In honor of Pride Month, we:
Celebrated Pride Month
June
July
Appointed as Lead Partner on General Counsel for Diversity & Inclusion Initiative
Shearman & Sterling has been appointed as one of the lead partners on the General Counsel for Diversity & Inclusion Initiative (GCD&I). In its role as a lead partner, Shearman & Sterling will work with General Counsel of major companies to help develop the conversation about how In-House teams and Law Firms can effectively work together, enhancing not only equity, diversity and inclusion but also the day-to-day ways of working.
To continue to support the global network of women lawyers at the firm, we facilitated the third round of the Women Partner Mentoring Circles with 10 partner-hosted circles serving approximately 60 associates and counsel.
Facilitated the Third Round of Women Partner Mentoring Circles
August
We hosted a workshop with The Center, “LGBTQ Workplace Inclusion Workshop: Allyship,” with Sterling Pride Inclusion Network. This workshop focused on defining what it means to be an ally, reflecting on personal experiences and outlining the impact allies can have on their peers.
Commemorated US National Coming Out Day
September
October
November
December
We invited a leading U.K. diversity & inclusion training provider to deliver a session on allyship which covered what inclusion and exclusion look like, the impact of exclusion and explored how we can become a better ally with practical examples and by understanding our own biases.
Hosted Allyship Training
IFLR1000 named eight of Shearman & Sterling’s female partners on its Women Leaders 2021 list of highly-regarded lawyers worldwide. Women leaders were described as “the leading female transactional lawyers in the world” by the organization, and it was noted that these lawyers have impressive track records and are consistently recommended by clients and peers for the quality of their advice and service.
Featured in IFLR1000’s Women Leaders of 2021
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Shearman & Sterling LLP
Timeline
Partners Matthew Readings and Sanja Udovicic engaged in a fireside chat and shared their thoughts on the TED Talk “White People, Enough: A Look at Power and Control" by Jaelyn Coates, and why they felt it is important that we continue to take the time and personal accountability to continue to learn about the lived experiences of people from underrepresented groups.
Hosted Fireside Chat with Partners to Explore the Impact of Racism
We introduced Inform to Transform, a quarterly anti-bias training that will bring awareness to biases–both unconscious and conscious–and provide actionable steps to mitigate them. Inform to Transform features experts who educate us on a variety of perspectives. Each Inform to Transform session is followed by an optional small group discussion session to help us continue to collaboratively build our awareness and support each other’s educational journey.
Launched Inform to Transform series
We hosted a program featuring Dr. Tsedale Melaku, exploring allyship and providing actionable steps for being an impactful ally. The program featured a candid conversation on allyship with Chief Technology Officer Lawrence Baxter and one of the leaders of BE SEEN, the firm’s Inclusion Network dedicated to the advancement of Black business services professionals.
Honored Black History Month (US)
The U.K. chapters of Sterling Pride and WISER co-hosted a fireside chat with Partner James Webber, in which all who participated shared their thoughts on TED Talk “How Uncomfortable Conversations Can Save Lives" by Lyra McKee, and why it is important that we continue to take the time to continue to learn about the lived experiences of people from underrepresented groups.
Celebrated LGBT+ History Month (UK)
To continue to support the global network of women lawyers at the firm, we facilitated the first round of the Women Partner Mentoring Circles with 9 partner-hosted circles serving approximately 70 associates and counsel.
Facilitated the First Round of Women Partner Mentoring Circles
To bring awareness to racial discrimination, we discussed the TED Talk “How to Outsmart Your Own Unconscious Bias” where author, speaker and CEO, Valerie Alexander, explains how the human brain instinctively reacts when encountering the unexpected and proposes that if we have the courage to examine our own behavior when faced with the unfamiliar, then we can take control of our expectations.
Honored International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
To honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility, we circulated a firm-wide educational communication that featured resources on how to support and learn from the transgender community. We also recorded a podcast with our U.K. Sterling Pride co-chairs which explored the importance of taking the time to learn and share the experiences of those in the trans community.
Honoring International Transgender Day of Visibility
As part of our ongoing commitment, we published our UK gender pay gap, which highlights our progress, challenges and goals with respect to recruiting, advancing and retaining women in the workplace.
Reported Gender Pay Gap (UK)
Spotlight
Deep institutional inequalities were exposed in 2020, leaving wounds that will be difficult to heal. We are part of a profession that is, and must always be, about fighting for and upholding the rule of law and equal justice under the law. As a firm, we have taken collective action by talking about racism, bias and inclusion with the goal of learning how to interrupt bias and take steps to ensure a safer, more inclusive and equitable workplace and society. Black individuals and communities must be heard, appreciated, understood and given the resources and opportunities to flourish and thrive, and most fundamentally, to be safe.
This year was a time for dialogue and a renewed commitment to refocus our efforts. We decided to accelerate our existing programs and introduce a number of new initiatives to deliver further change within our firm and wider communities including:
Black Lives Matter and the Racial Justice Movement
We invited Kevin Hines, bestselling author, global public speaker and award-winning documentary filmmaker, to share his experience as one of only 36 (less than 1%) to survive a fall from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. His insights provided an opportunity to learn about reducing the stigma around mental health challenges.
Honored Mental Health Month (US) and Mental Health Awareness Week (UK)
We hosted Sam Mihara, who has reached over 2.5 million people with his story and recipient of Congress’s History Educator of the Year in 2018, who shared his personal account of the forced imprisonment of Japanese Americans by the U.S. government and the civil rights abuses that took place during World War II. This program was facilitated by Partner Omar Samji.
Honored Asian American Pacific Island Heritage Month (US)
We hosted Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, who shared the trends and data that Stop AAPI Hate has collected since March 2020, discussed recent legislature on anti-Asian violence and provided insights on what legal professionals can do to help. The program was facilitated by Partner Grace Lee and organized in partnership with AACES.
Hosted Event on Stop AAPI Hate
We observed Juneteenth as a holiday for all U.S. offices, and circulated a firm-wide educational communication which featured resources to learn more about the generational impact of racism, the meaning of Juneteenth and opportunities for civic and community engagement.
Commemorated Juneteenth (US)
To infuse the summer associate experience with the importance of diversity and inclusion within a successful law firm environment, various educational and social events were held in partnership with the Inclusion Networks.
Held D&I Programming for Summer Associates (US)
The firm was ranked in the top 20 in Vault’s annual list of the top 50 “Best Law Firms to Work For.” Additionally, the firm was ranked in nearly 20 categories on the list in a range of workplace issues, demonstrating our commitment to diversity, quality of life, associate wellness and development and culture as evaluated by the firm’s associates.
Recognized Among “Best Law Firms to Work For” by Vault
As part of the firm’s anti-bias training series, we hosted Kathleen Nalty, a nationally-recognized expert in strategies for diversity and inclusion, who explained how unconscious biases are formed and presented research demonstrating the way implicit biases show up in the legal workplace in the form of hidden barriers that disproportionately impact lawyers in underrepresented groups.
Inform to Transform Series: “Inform to Transform with Kathleen Nalty: Unconscious Bias in the Legal Profession”
This program covered many aspects of disability including the legal perspective, visible and invisible disabilities, as well as the appropriate language to use when discussing disability. It also explored the connection between disability and bullying/ harassment and the speaker shared her own personal experience of being a wheelchair user.
Hosted Disability Awareness Training
To connect all U.S.-based women associates and counsel, WISER began hosting monthly peer mentoring circles, utilizing resources from Sherly Sandberg’s Lean In curriculum to allow peer-to-peer connections spanning across all U.S. locations. The kick-off session included opening remarks from Partner Kieran Kieckhefer.
Launched WISER Peer Mentoring Circles (US)
This program explored the positive changes for families brought about by the pandemic lessons learned and positive habits we can hold on to going forwards. It also discussed the strategies for remaining positive and resilient when we return to the office, and how caregivers can adjust to spending more time away from their children and ease their children back to normality.
Hosted a Program for Parents and Caregivers: “Normality Matters”
We sponsored incoming 1L students for a law school prep course in order to gain a meaningful advantage during their 1L year which positively impacts their competitive status during 2L recruiting.
Sponsored the BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship
We delivered a session hosted by a leading psychologist and partner, Gordon Houseman, around building small, yet effective habits into our daily lives to feel more positive, build resilience and to get the most out of life. The program also shared tools to enable you to take notice, navigate and effectively manage when feelings of stress and anxiety arise.
Honored World Mental Health Day
We organized a private virtual screening of the impactful documentary, Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin, which illuminates the life and work of Bayard Rustin, the “unknown hero” of the U.S. civil rights movement. We also hosted a panel discussion featuring the filmmaker, Rustin’s life partner and our U.S. BLAQUE and Sterling Pride co-chairs. The program was offered globally in conjunction with Black History Month in the U.K.
Celebrated LGBTQ+ History Month (US)
We achieved Mansfield Rule 4.0 Plus Certification by surpassing a 30% women and diverse candidate threshold for various recruiting and firm leadership-related criteria. The "Plus" status recognizes that, in addition to meeting the basic certification requirement of candidate pools, the firm also achieved at least 30% diversity for those who ultimately have been appointed to various strategic leadership positions, promoted to partner, participated in formal pitch meetings and staffed on matters arising from client pitches.
We also confirmed the firm’s enrollment in Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification.
Achieved Mansfield Certification 4.0 Plus (US)
In the U.K., we pledged to become a Disability Confident Committed Employer. Disability Confident is creating a movement of change, encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people.
Became a Disability Confident Committed Employer (UK)
Hosted firm employees to attend a conference for Out Leadership’s initiative designed to cultivate emerging
LGBTQ+ talent.
Sponsored the OUTNext Global Summit
In celebration of Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, we hosted Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU, to discuss his experiences as a Latinx man in the legal industry and the changes that he has observed in the legal landscape and beyond throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was facilitated by Partner Daniel Tristan.
Celebrated Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month (US)
This global program featured Gloria Feldt, who discussed her book, Intentioning: Sex, Power, Pandemics, and How Women Take the Lead for (Everyone’s) Good. With attendees from across the U.S., Gloria shared how we can seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity created by the disruption of the pandemic to build back stronger, with gender equity at the center of this recovery.
Hosted Event Featuring Gloria Feldt
To commemorate Veterans Day in the U.S., we hosted Scott A. Sloss, Equal Justice Works Fellow at University of Alabama's Veterans Law Project, and Rochelle Bobroff, Director of Pro Bono Program Lawyers Serving Warriors at the National Veterans Legal Services Program, to discuss veterans’ legal needs and insights into the impactful work of Scott’s legal clinic in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.
Honoring Veterans Day (US)
As a result of the firm’s involvement in Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s programs and promotion of the organization’s mission, we received the LCLD Compass Award. Support for LCLD included submission of the firm’s Leader Pledge, attendance at the Annual Meeting/Leadership Summit and participation in the Fellows and pipeline mentoring programs.
Received LCLD 2021 Compass Award
Inclusion Network Conference & Retreats
Fireside Chat with Michelle Kim
This fireside chat featured Michelle Kim, an expert in organizational change management, strategic goal setting, and social justice activism set the groundwork for Awaken's multidisciplinary and action-oriented learning programs.
Authenticity and Upward Mobility: Navigating the Leadership Pipeline
Dr. Robert Rodriguez talked about how career leadership pipelines work within corporate America, and how Latinx talent can prepare for upward mobility.
“You’re So Articulate!”: How Implicit Bias Can Dismantle Your Organization’s Professional Development and Diversity and Inclusion Goals with Ama Yawson
Ama utilized social science, current events, and role-playing to provide participants with a greater awareness of microaggressions while empowering participants to become cultural change agents within their organization.
Systemic Racism and Critical Race Theory with Professor Deborah N. Archer
This keynote session featured Deborah N. Archer, Jacob K. Javits Professor at New York University, and Associate Professor of Clinical Law; Co-Faculty Director of the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law; and Director of the Civil Rights Clinic at NYU School of Law. She is a nationally recognized expert in civil rights and racial justice and teaches and writes in the areas of racial justice, civil rights, and community equity
Fireside Chat with Fabrice Houdart
This fireside chat featured Fabrice Houdart, Managing Director for Global Equality Initiatives at Out Leadership. Fabrice spoke about the current global situation for LGBTI rights, the role of business in promoting human rights, and more generally the connections between business, development, and supporting LGBTI people around the world.
Powerful Presentation: In a Virtual World
During this session, attendees learned how to deliver successful presentations to an audience of one or one hundred. Nicole Wells outlined effective delivery, how to speak succinctly, clarify key messages, and keep presentations engaging.
Client Perspectives on Success, Leadership and Intersectionality
A panel discussion featured Kersti Hanson, Director and Assistant General Counsel, Bank of America Securities, Karin Kringen, Senior Counsel, Wells Fargo, So Young Lee, Director and Associate General Counsel, Bank of America Securities, and Jane Son, Director of Legal, Barclays
Aim High: Empowering Women in Leadership
This session featured Cara Hale Alter, author, founder and president of SpeechSkills. Using real-world examples and interactive exercises, this session examined the skill set necessary for women to embody and exude executive presence. Cara discussed the power of the “subtextual” conversation—body language, vocal patterns, and mannerisms that can raise or lower one’s status in the workplace. She also explored female- and male-identified communication rituals, and how to confront counterproductive culture clashes caused by differences in style and language.
Spotlight
Inclusion Network
Conference & Retreats
The firm is proud to have achieved Diversity Lab’s Mansfield 3.0 Certification status. Now entering its fourth iteration, the Mansfield Rule Certification measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered at least 30% women, attorneys of color, LGBTQ+ and lawyers with disabilities for leadership, governance roles to boost the representation of women and diverse lawyers in law firm leadership and recruiting efforts.
Achieving Mansfield Certification was one of our five firmwide goals toward advancing our women and diverse professionals by 2023. To build on this momentum, we have also signed onto Mansfield 4.0 for 2021 and intend on doing so in subsequent years.
We remain steadfastly committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and safe environment for our people, our clients, and our local and global communities.
Firm Leadership Perspective on Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at Shearman
This conversation emphasized the importance of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, touched on some of the firm's signature D&I programming and highlight how the firm has fostered a sense belonging.
The Power of Mentorship and Sponsorship
Featuring Ellevate CEO Kristy Wallace and Shearman Partner Donna Parisi, the two discussed how you can grow and continue developing yourself through everyday improvements and a renewed focus on mentorship, sponsorship, and feedback.
Spotlight on Mentorship and Sponsorship at Shearman
Shearman Partners shared career advice and tips on how to seek and cultivate these relationships.
Inclusion Network Conference
To continue to support the global network of women lawyers at the firm, we facilitated the fourth round of the Women Partner Mentoring Circles with 12 partner-hosted circles serving approximately 50 associates and counsel.
Facilitated the Fourth Round of Women Partner Mentoring Circles
We launched our inaugural global Inclusion Network Conference and individual Inclusion Network Retreats to bolster the firm's inclusive culture, creating a platform for colleagues from around the world to connect with one another. The Inclusion Network Conference programming was open to a global audince and included:
The Black Attorney Reality: An Examination of the Factors that Support (and Frustrate) Success with Werten Bellamy
This session featured Werten Bellamy who offered an actionable framework for each Black attorney to confront their career with a set of strategies for achieving their full potential. This discussion examined some of the factors most crucial for success.
Mansfield Certification
Black Lives Matter
Support
Donating
Listening
Learning
Recognizing
Taking Action
On June 2, Senior Partner David Beveridge issued a statement in support of our colleagues, alumni, clients and communities, which is on our public website and has also been shared with clients. On behalf of the firm, he also co-signed the Partnership for New York City’s open letter with 190 other CEOs in support of programs to address racial injustice and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the city’s Black and minority communities. We wrote to Governor Cuomo and the leaders of the State Legislature with 30 other law firms to urge the repeal of Section 50-a of the state’s Civil Rights Law to allow for the public disclosure of police records relating to police misconduct. This was successful, and you can read more in the New York City Bar Association’s recent legislative report. We also joined the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance which utilizes the private bar resources of more than 140 firms to assist legal services organizations in furtherance of their missions to dismantle barriers to opportunity in communities of color.
We are continuing our charitable giving to support public service and social justice organizations, including: Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; NAACP-LDF; and Southern Poverty Law Center. Additionally, the firm launched a matching program where individual donations to these organizations will be matched for any amount up to $1,000.
We are hosting ongoing Open Forums as a safe space for our community to share candid and personal experiences.
We are delivering anti-racism, allyship and inclusive leadership educational seminars and resources.
Juneteenth, the day that marks the end of slavery in the United States, was observed as paid leave for all in the Americas and London on June 19, 2020. Juneteenth will be observed as an ongoing holiday in the Americas.
We are working to advance racial justice and economic equity among Black communities with social justice organizations including: NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund; AALDEF; Latino Justice and the Innocence Project; and Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
We hosted a panel discussion, “BLAQUE in the City,” aimed at students, where our members of BLAQUE EMEA Inclusion Network shared insights into their careers, what Black History Month means to them and how they bring their authentic selves to work each day.
Celebrated Black History Month (UK)
The firm hosted eight high school students, participants in the Legal Outreach or NJ LEEP programs, for a week-long, immersive learning experience on becoming a lawyer and the professional opportunities in the legal industry.
Hosted NJ LEEP and Legal Outreach Students
David J. Beveridge
Chair, Senior Partner
Lisa Brill
Partner Member
Denise Grant
Partner Member
Marwa Elborai
Partner Member
Daniel Litowitz
Partner Member
Lorna Chen
Partner Member
Patrick Robbins
Partner Member
James Webber
Partner Member
Cody Wright
Partner Member
William Roll
Partner Member
Sandra Bang
Chief Diversity & Talent Strategy Officer
Task
Force
Put into place the tracking of considering at least 30% diverse (i.e., women, people of color, LGBTQ, disability) candidates in all senior lateral hiring decisions for lawyers and business services roles; leadership and governance roles; and internal partner promotions (i.e., Mansfield Certification)
Achieved at least 30% women and diverse lawyers in leadership roles at the firm including Executive Group, Policy Committee, Business Unit Leaders, Practice Group Leaders, and Regional Managing Partners
Accomplished
Firmwide D&I Business Goals
In 2020, we:
Welcomed over 200 attendees from around the globe at the inaugural Inclusion Network Conference
Hosted 17 Open Forum conversations with colleagues from the U.S. and London
Had 350+ participants in the global women mentoring circles
Received 100% score on HRC CEI for the 11th consecutive year
Many of our clients demanded action.
Read our response.
A letter from
David J. Beveridge
Inclusion Network Retreats
In addition to the firmwide Inclusion Network Conference, members of each Inclusion Network were invited to gather virtually for collective learning and community building through individual Inclusion Network Retreats. Some of the programs included:
AACES Retreat
Alianza Retreat
BE SEEN Retreat
BLAQUE Retreat
Sterling Pride Retreat
VALIANT Retreat
WISER Retreat
support
Donating
Listening
Learning
Recognizing
Taking action
During this session, Michelle discussed the roots of impostor syndrome and why high-performing professionals suffer self-doubt about their abilities, despite their demonstrated success in the workplace.
You Belong Here: How to Overcome Impostor Syndrome in the Workplace
This conversation emphasized the importance of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, touched on some of the firm's signature D&I programming and highlight how the firm has fostered a sense belonging.
Firm Leadership Perspective on Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at Shearman
Featuring Ellevate CEO Kristy Wallace and Shearman Partner Donna Parisi, the two discussed how you can grow and continue developing yourself through everyday improvements and a renewed focus on mentorship, sponsorship, and feedback.
The Power of Mentorship and Sponsorship
Shearman Partners shared career advice and tips on how to seek and cultivate these relationships. This session’s recording is now available as a two-part episode of our Barrier Blasters podcast series.
Spotlight on Mentorship and Sponsorship at Shearman
We hosted Professor Ibram X. Kendi to discuss his international best seller How to be an Anti-Racist, and distributed copies of Professor Kendi’s official workbook, Be Anti-Racist: A Journal for Awareness, Reflection, and Action. journey.
Inform to Transform series: “Inform to Transform: Fireside Chat with Ibram X. Kendi”
Our Women's network WISER organized a series of roundtables for all associates and trainees to discuss a number of topics, including sponsorship, mentoring and career advancement.
Hosted WISER Roundtables (UK)
As part of the firm’s anti-bias training series, we hosted Michelle Kim, founder and CEO of Awaken and author of The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change. The program focused on allyship and was moderated by Sandra Bang, former Chief Diversity and Talent Strategy Officer.
We recorded a podcast with firm employees in the London Office which explored the importance of recognizing Lesbian Visibility Week and the role of allies.
Celebrated Lesbian Visibility Week
This session explored “Imposter Syndrome,” providing a deeper understanding of this phenomenon. Drawing on case studies, research and personal experience, participants discussed its unique effect on people of color is a unique form of self-doubt that afflicts over 60% of the population and particularly high achievers.
Hosted “Imposter Syndrome” Training
As part of our ongoing commitment to collect diversity data for our workforce, we launched our annual diversity survey in the London office and had a 93% participation rate. To see our data, please click here.
Launched Annual Diversity Survey (UK)
Inform to Transform Series: “Inform to Transform: Fireside Chat with Michelle Kim”
In collaboration with a client, we host an event on racial inequity, civil rights and Black Lives Matter with Professor Deborah Archer, the first Black President of ACLU in its 101-year history, and the first president of color.
Hosted Event Featuring Deborah Archer
To continue to support the global network of women lawyers at the firm, we facilitated the second round of the Women Partner Mentoring Circles with 12 partner-hosted circles serving approximately 70 associates and counsel.
Facilitated the Second Round of Women Partner Mentoring Circles
Shearman & Sterling won "Asian Diversity Initiative of the Year" for its Women Partner and Associate Mentoring Circles program at ALM's The Asia Legal Awards 2021. The award recognizes projects or initiatives that law firms implemented in their Asian offices to improve diversity and inclusion in gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability.
Won Asian Diversity Initiative of the Year at The Asian Legal Awards 2021
We participated in a legal sector initiative to analyze our historical data with respect to recruiting, retaining and advancing partners and employees from ethnically diverse backgrounds, to better understand our workforce demographics and employee experiences. This enabled us to set a roadmap for improvement, including the launch of the inaugural Black Undergraduate Internship & Lawyer Development (B.U.I.L.D) initiative, in August.
Participated in Ethnicity Data Benchmarking and Analysis (UK)
In celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month in the U.S., we:
Celebrated Women’s History Month (US) & International Women's Day
Hosted a talk with Dr. Kamel Hothi, OBE, who shared her experiences as an Asian woman in a corporate environment and how the interplay of her gender and race shaped her career. This event was opened by Partner Nick Withers.
Circulated a firm-wide educational newsletter that featured resources on gender equity and women’s rights and highlighted the firm’s Women’s Initiatives.
Shearman Elles, an initiative for women’s empowerment in the Paris office, participated in International Women's Day's #ChooseToChallenge theme. Firm employees called out gender bias and inequality, questioned stereotypes and committed to forge an inclusive world in a video presentation honoring the day’s theme.
Invited Suresh Raj, Global Chief Growth Officer of Virtue, a Vice Media Group Company, to discuss the ways in which identity, culture and intersectionality shape our lived experiences, and to share his personal story of a multi-cultural upbringing, the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement and the current challenges of racism across the world.
Held a partner panel event with Helena Potts, Garreth Wong and Alexandro Padrés, which was chaired by Marwa Elborai. Marwa, as an LGBTQ+ ally, explored with the panel how the interplay between their different identities have impacted their career journeys, the power of allies and what Pride Month means to them.
Organized a virtual viewing of CURED, a film in which activists successfully challenging the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its manual of mental illnesses in 1973. A live panel discussion with the filmmakers was also organized.
Hosted a workshop by The Center, Pronouns, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, with Sterling Pride Inclusion Network. This workshop focused on defining common self-identifiers within the LGBTQ+ community in order to cultivate sensitivity and understanding.
We ran our inaugural Black Undergraduate Internship & Lawyer Development programme (B.U.I.L.D. @ Shearman). Six high-achieving Black students joined us in the London Office for four weeks, gaining work experience and mentoring opportunities.
Launched B.U.I.L.D Internship (UK)
We facilitated an Interactive-Virtual Theater Program for managers to navigate difficult conversations. The program focused on DEI in the context COVID-19 and the BLM movement. Participants watched, and engaged with, theatrical performances of workplace conversations which related to diversity, inclusion and belonging.
Celebrated Women’s Equality Day (US)
The London office hosted their annual Women in Law conference, which provided opportunities for lawyers of all genders to come together in discussion of the challenges facing women in today’s legal industry, and the ways to support each other to overcome these hurdles.
Hosted Annual Women in Law Conference (UK)
In partnership with Black Solicitors Network mentoring programme, Creating Pathways, which aims to support junior to mid-level Black lawyers, we hosted a training session on organizational politics. The event explored how to develop key skills and how to use them to advance one’s career. Afterward, all attendees participated in a networking session to support career development.
Held Event with Black Solicitors Network Mentoring Programme (UK)
To continue supporting a pipeline to the legal industry for underrepresented communities, Shearman & Sterling became a sponsor of Thrive Scholars. The firm was named a Founding Partner, acts as a member of the organization’s Advisory Board, and sponsors a cohort of four (4) Shearman & Sterling Thrive Scholars, motivated and talented low-income students of color who are interested in legal careers within the NYC and Tri-State area.
Launched Partnership with Thrive Scholars (US)
To continue to support the global network of women lawyers at the firm, we facilitated the third round of the Women Partner Mentoring Circles with 10 partner-hosted circles serving approximately 60 associates and counsel.