Inclusion Initiative companies hit $1.6 billion cumulative spend with minority- and women-owned law firms
September 17 2019 - 12:18PM
Business Wire
The Inclusion Initiative, a collaborative program among law
departments at major corporations across the country, announced
today that 31 member companies have spent more than $1.6 billion
with MWBE law firms since the program’s inception in 2010. In
addition, the initiative welcomed two new member companies, Honda
and Walgreens, this year.
“The Inclusion Initiative makes a meaningful, positive impact on
the legal profession by encouraging members to make tangible
commitments to hiring diverse firms, helping them to thrive in the
market,” said Ann Kappler, senior vice president and deputy general
counsel of Prudential Financial, Inc., a founding company of the
Inclusion Initiative. “At Prudential, a culture of diversity and
inclusion is ingrained in our DNA and is paramount to our success.
Diverse teams provide a distinct advantage by seeing problems
differently and by highlighting unforeseen challenges and
opportunities—leading to better, informed results.”
The Inclusion Initiative is administered by the National
Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF), which
comprises over 197 certified MWBE law firms in 42 states. In 2010,
its members collectively spent $42 million with MWBE law firms.
Since then, the program has grown significantly, with companies
spending nearly $240 million in 2018 and membership nearly tripling
in size.
“Walgreens’ legal division is proud to support NAMWOLF and the
Inclusion Initiative through its expanded use of minority- and
women-owned law firms,” said Elena Kraus, general counsel,
Walgreens. “At Walgreens, diversity is a matter of creating and
nurturing our culture through our relationships with team members,
suppliers and external partners. Fostering an environment that
embraces human differences and promotes inclusion is a key goal for
our organization. Having our culture top of mind when we engage
stakeholders internally and externally creates a path toward
business and personal success.”
At the heart of the Inclusion Initiative is the belief that MWBE
law firms (i) play a vital role in providing opportunity to diverse
attorneys and (ii) provide excellent, cost-effective legal services
that meet the needs of corporate America. Inclusion Initiative
members believe that MWBE law firms provide a reliable pathway into
the legal profession for law students and young lawyers of diverse
backgrounds and house some of the nation’s most talented and
seasoned attorneys capable of handling significant matters. The
initiative is constantly evolving to ensure it is achieving its
mission. In recent years, the initiative expanded its definition to
include LGBTQ-owned firms among its list of MWBE law firms.
“One of Honda’s core values is to maximize the strength of
diversity by creating an inclusive environment where each of our
associates can reach their highest potential,” said David Peim,
deputy general counsel, Honda North America, Inc. “That is why
Honda is proud to support NAMWOLF and the Inclusion Initiative. We
truly believe that NAMWOLF’s mission of inclusion and diversity in
the legal community helps power us to excellence.”
The current roster of participating companies includes: 3M,
Accenture, Allstate, Bank of America, CenterPoint Energy,
Coca-Cola, Comcast, Exelon, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,
Google, Honda, JPMorgan Chase, McDonald’s Corporation, Macy’s,
Merck, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Nationwide, NBCUniversal,
Prudential Financial, Sempra Energy, Shell Oil Company, State Farm,
Target, Toyota Financial Services, Verizon, Walgreens, Walmart,
Wells Fargo, and Xerox.
“Corporate members of the Inclusion Initiative are a testament
to the adage of putting thought into action,” said William Delgado,
Inclusion Initiative Task Force co-chair and board member of
NAMWOLF. “The commitment exhibited by each company helps ensure the
success of minority- and women-owned law firms and furthers the
important mission of diversifying the legal profession. NAMWOLF is
excited about its continued collaboration with the Inclusion
Initiative for years to come.”
Companies interested in joining or learning more about the
Inclusion Initiative can contact Joel Stern at the number or email
address provided below or visit:
https://namwolf.org/in-house-counsel/inclusion-initiative.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190917005930/en/
For Inclusion Initiative Andrew Simonelli, 973.802.2420
andrew.simonelli@prudential.com
For NAMWOLF Joel Stern, 312.733.7780 joel_stern@namwolf.org
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