Sheppard Mullin issued the following announcement on Oct. 24.
Sheppard Mullin is pleased to announce that the firm received the 2019 Thomas L. Sager Award from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) during the MCCA Diversity Gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York on October 16, 2019. The award recognizes one Am Law 200 firm that champions diversity and inclusion and has demonstrated a sustained commitment to improving the hiring, retention and promotion of diverse attorneys.
“We work hard at Sheppard Mullin to ensure diversity and inclusion are top-of-mind and are endeavors on which we continuously focus, so it is very gratifying to have our work and accomplishments recognized,” said Guy Halgren, Sheppard Mullin’s chairman. “We are honored to receive the Sager Award. Much of the credit for winning this outstanding award goes to our D&I leadership over the last 20 years– Dianne Smith and Carol Ross-Burnett, and now Rena Andoh and Lois Durant. – who have all pushed us tirelessly to do better and do more to become more inclusive.”
Sheppard Mullin was one of three global law firm finalists. MCCA specifically recognized Sheppard Mullin for its unique bilingual/bicultural associate development program, as highlighted in this video, featuring Washington, D.C. partner Fatema Merchant and New York Associate Shin Hahn. The program works with first-generation American associates to leverage their unique experiences and ensure they have the support they need to better serve their clients and build their practices.
Commenting on receiving the Sager Award, Rena Andoh, a litigation partner in the firm's New York office and chair of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, said, “Being selected by the MCCA for the Sager Award is a tribute to Sheppard Mullin’s steadfast commitment to diversity and inclusion. The bilingual/bicultural associate development program is just one example of how the firm puts D&I front-and-center, provides the necessary resources and support we need to make true change, and holds every member of the firm accountable for ensuring that we are truly a diverse and inclusive workplace.”
Sheppard Mullin’s commitment to diversity and inclusion has been often recognized. Some recent achievements include:
- Received ChIPs Honor Roll award for advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace for 2018 and 2019
- Attained Mansfield Certification 2.0 from Diversity Lab and also achieved Mansfield Certification Plus status for the second consecutive year
- Ranked 4th Best Firm for Minority attorneys by Law360
- Scored 100 on Human Rights Campaign’s 2019 Corporate Equality Index
- Named among Working Mother Magazine’s 2019 “Best Law Firms for Women”
- Named among Yale Law Women’s 2019 Top Ten Firms for Gender Equality and Family Friendliness Report