Katten Applauded for Fostering an Inclusive Workplace

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Aug 05, 2019, 14:34 ET

CHICAGO, Aug. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP announced today that the firm earned a place in the Diversity Best Practices Inclusion Index, which measures standards of excellence in company culture, best practices in the recruitment, retention and advancement of people from underrepresented groups, and transparency in sharing demographic data and progress made in hiring, retaining and promoting women, people of color and other minority groups.

"Fostering diversity and supporting an inclusive workplace is of paramount importance to Katten and our clients," said Katten's Chief Diversity Partner Leslie D. Minier. "We value diversity and inclusion and have invested in initiatives to help move the needle because doing so will help our attorneys thrive in their careers and be successful in achieving strategic business goals."

Katten was among the participating organizations that achieved the threshold of 60 percent or better to qualify and get listed on the index by Diversity Best Practices, a division of Working Mother Media.

Among Katten's slate of diversity and inclusion efforts are certification for meeting standards of the Diversity Lab's Mansfield Rule pilot program to increase the representation of female lawyers and attorneys of color in law firm leadership and participation in the Mansfield Rule 2.0 program to further boost diversity in leadership ranks.

Katten hosted its biennial Diverse Attorney Leadership Summit last November to empower attorneys with strategies, tools and resources to build successful careers. Its upcoming LGBT Attorney Retreat is slated for August.

Additionally, Katten offers a sponsorship program, pairing firm leaders with diverse attorneys to identify and achieve career goals, develop their skill sets, and increase visibility within the firm. Katten hosted a training session for attorneys and business professionals that explored how unconscious biases can impact work, workplace interactions and decision making.

The firm also has participated in professional development programs organized by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity as well as the Diversity in Law Hackathon created by Diversity Lab, an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in the legal field.

The Inclusion Index helps organizations understand gaps in demographic representation and creates a road map to drive internal change and solutions through proven best practices.

"The Inclusion Index continues to grow as more and more organizations are willing to be transparent about their progress and workforce demographics," said Deborah Munster, vice president, Diversity Best Practices. "We applaud their D&I [diversity and inclusion] efforts and will continue to set a high bar in order to drive change and accountability."

Katten is a full-service law firm with nearly 700 attorneys in locations across the United States and in London and Shanghai. Clients seeking sophisticated, high-value legal services turn to Katten for counsel locally, nationally and internationally. The firm's core areas of practice include corporate, financial services, insolvency and restructuring, litigation, real estate, environmental and workplace safety, commercial finance, intellectual property, structured finance and securitization, and trusts and estates. Katten represents public and private companies in numerous industries, including a third of the Fortune 100, as well as a number of government and nonprofit organizations and individuals. For more information, visit www.kattenlaw.com.