Clifford Chance, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz and White & Case are among 64 law firms to receive a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2009 Corporate Equality Index, writes the Am Law Daily.
The total of 64 firms on this year's list is more than five times the 12 top-scoring firms to make the foundation's list in 2006, the first year law firms were invited to participate in the national survey.
For its index, billed as "a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality in corporate America", the foundation looked at such criteria as non-discrimination policies, domestic-partner benefits and diversity training.
This year, the legal industry eclipsed sectors such as banking and financial services, retail and consumer products and pharmaceuticals in having so many businesses with a score of 100%, the foundation said. A total of 92 law firms were surveyed.
"Law firms are highly competitive in their recruitment efforts for law school graduates, and are also held to increasing standards of diversity by their corporate clients," the report said. "LGBT equality is an integral part of these efforts to recruit and retain top talent and cultivate clients."
Elaine Johnston, partner and chair of the diversity committee at White & Case, said: “We are proud of the strides we have made in recent years in identifying and putting in place policies and programs for recognising and supporting LGBT lawyers. For example, in addition to supporting an active LGBT Affinity Group, we offer written protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation as well as gender identity, and we provide health insurance for domestic partners and wellness benefits for transgender employees.”
Orrick , which earned the 100% rating for the third consecutive year, said it has long provided domestic partner benefits to its employees and it encourages lawyers to participate in minority and LGBT professional associations by paying membership dues. The firm said it also actively supports the LGBT community through a combination of pro bono legal services, financial contributions and volunteerism.
Joseph Evall, partner and vice-chair of Orrick's diversity committee for LGBT initiatives, said:. "We intend to continue developing and implementing best practices so that Orrick's LGBT community can continue to thrive."
The foundation gave top marks to 259 businesses out of the 583 surveyed. Of the 89 banking and finance companies included in the index, 30 made the top tier, while 11 pharmaceutical companies out of 93 had a perfect score.
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The Am Law Daily is the website of The American Lawyer, Legal Week's US sister title.
