Press Release
Wilson Elser Celebrates National Diversity Week with Firmwide Diversity & Inclusion Day
NEW YORK (October 9, 2015) – Am Law 200 law firm Wilson Elser celebrated National Diversity Week with its second annual Diversity & Inclusion Day, “Dialogue & Dine,” held in each of its 27 U.S. offices.
The day included a catered or potluck “diverse” meal, a webcast presentation by diversity consultant Dr. Arin N. Reeves of Nextions entitled, “The Why & the How of Diversity and Inclusion,” and local activities created to meet the size, demographics and specific needs of each office.
The day was a huge success, according to Angela Russell, chair of Wilson Elser’s national Diversity & Inclusion Committee. “I would estimate that participation firmwide was around 80 percent of the more than 1,400 Wilson Elser attorneys, professionals and staff.
“Feedback from the offices was overwhelmingly positive,” added Russell. “Generally speaking, everyone felt that Dr. Reeves’ presentation brought greater awareness of how people receive disparate perspectives, and she offered ways to better engage people and ideas that are different from our own, as well as much more.”
Office-specific programs that followed the national webcast included guest speakers from local organizations or in-house Wilson Elser colleagues who hail from countries outside the U.S., discussing their experiences with diversity and inclusion. Other offices created and played trivia games and activities that crystallized generational and cultural differences among participants, to name a few of the creative ideas implemented that day.
“Wilson Elser is committed to diversity and inclusion,” said Daniel J. McMahon, Wilson Elser chairman. “We approach our efforts from two parallel tracks – operations and recruiting – with the same goal in mind, to work with clients, vendors and attorneys who value the tenets of diversity and inclusion that we at Wilson Elser consider a moral imperative and smart business.
About Wilson Elser
Wilson Elser, a full-service and leading defense litigation law firm (www.wilsonelser.com), serves its clients with nearly 800 attorneys in 27 offices in the United States and one in London and through a network of affiliates in key regions globally. Founded in 1978, it ranks among the top 200 law firms identified by The American Lawyer and is included in the top 50 of The National Law Journal's survey of the nation’s largest law firms. Wilson Elser serves a growing, loyal base of clients with innovative thinking and an in-depth understanding of their respective businesses.