Porter Wright launches LGTBQ+ Business practice

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Jun 02, 2021, 08:00 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Porter Wright today announced an expansion of its services to include a group focused on LGBTQ+ businesses. Attorneys in the LGBTQ+ Business practice group will work with business owners in a wealth of areas to help their businesses succeed.

"LGBTQ+ business owners often face unique challenges when doing business," said Ted Walters, co-chair of the group. "The attorneys in our group are members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community and bring the experience, understanding, and authenticity to partner with our clients to help them achieve their goals."

"We recognized the need for this type of cross-disciplinary group to support LGBTQ+ businesses in all of our markets in Ohio, Florida, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C.," said co-chair Ron Hicks. "Regardless of location, industry, stage of business, or corporate structure, we will work with LGBTQ+ business owners to enable a path that avoids challenges, minimizes risk, and leverages opportunity."

Porter Wright brings the bench strength of a full service law firm to provide counsel in:

Entity formation;
LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE^®) certification counseling;
Commercial and residential real estate advice (purchase and sale transactions, commercial and residential development, lease negotiation, title insurance, tax appeals);
Labor and employment counseling, and employment litigation;
Business competition (competitive interference claims, non-compete, non-solicitation, non-recruitment and non-disclosure agreements, non-competition and trade secret counseling and litigation);
Growth and operation (succession planning, compliance, including antitrust, licensing and franchising, corporate governance, entrepreneurship, family office, employee benefits and executive compensation);
Commercial contract review, negotiations, and drafting;
Wealth preservation, and trust and estate planning;
Intellectual property, including copyright and trademark protection and prosecution;
Commercial litigation, arbitration and mediation, and other alternative dispute resolution;
Nonprofit organizations (entity formation);
Tax planning and resolution;
Social media and website policy compliance review and drafting; and
Insurance coverage counseling and claims resolution.

Porter Wright is proud to be Mansfield Rule Certified and Mansfield Certified Plus for exceeding benchmarks in the national diversity, equity, and inclusion program aimed at better recruitment, retention, and promotion of underrepresented groups. The firm is currently taking part in cycle four of the program, which law firms to boost the representation of LGBTQ+ lawyers, along with women, lawyers of color, and lawyers with disabilities in leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions.

The firm is a member of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Business Coalition for Equality and was ranked by HRC as one of the "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Employees." The firm also offers an employee resource group, the Equality Alliance, that focuses on outreach to the LGBTQ+ community, internal policies and procedures, professional and business development, and recruitment and retention among attorneys and staff.

More information on the LGBTQ+ Business Practice may be found on the firm's website.

About Porter Wright
Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP is a large law firm that traces its roots to 1846 in Ohio. With offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Dayton, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Naples, Florida; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C., Porter Wright provides strategic legal counsel to a worldwide base of clients. More info: porterwright.com.

SOURCE Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP