Top executives discuss the business community's response to North Carolina's HB2 and other discriminatory legislation at the 6th annual Out Leadership Summit: U.S., hosted by Greenberg Traurig, LLP

NEW YORK, May 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

• Richard A. Rosenbaum, Executive Chairman of the global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, will host the Summit
• Henry Kravis, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO, KKR, will participate in a conversation about his 40 years of financial services leadership with Ken Mehlman, Partner, KKR
• Out Leadership will release the results of new research conducted in partnership with the Williams Institute of the UCLA School of Law demonstrating that North Carolina, by adopting House Bill 2, has put more than $5 Billion in economic activity in jeopardy:
  • Business investment:
    • More than $60 million in business investment has already been withdrawn from North Carolina
    • More than 1,150 jobs have been pulled from North Carolina
    • At least $35 million continue to be at risk
  • Travel & Tourism:
    • Loss of more than $400 million in travel, tourism and event spending
    • Risking more than 4000 jobs in the travel and tourism sector alone, and more than $29 million in state and local sales tax revenue
• Kenji Yoshino, Chief Justice Earl Warren Constitutional Professor of Law, NYU School of Law, will present findings from the Center for Talent Innovation's "Out in the World," a groundbreaking study of LGBT professionals in 10 countries 
• Other panel discussions include:
  • Out in Law: The Price of Backlash, introduced by Brad Sears, Executive Director of the Williams Institute. Featuring a video introduction from North Carolina resident Alaina Kupec, Specialty Access Solutions, Pfizer, a Trans woman.
    • Greg Baker, General Counsel, The Limited
    • Tim Murphy, General Counsel, MasterCard
    • Chris Geidner, Legal Editor, Buzzfeed (moderator)
    • Douglas NeJaime, Professor of Law, UCLA, Faculty Director of the Williams Institute
    • Kathleen Sebelius, Former Secretary of Health & Human Services, Former Governor of Kansas
  • Out on the Street: The New Value Play, introduced by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. Featuring a video introduction from Sophie Faris, Director of Strategic Growth, B Lab.
    • Jonathan Capehart, editorial board of the Washington Post (moderator)
    • Erika Karp, CEO, Cornerstone Capital Inc.
    • Matthew Patsky, CEO, Trillium Asset Management
    • Margaret Stumpp, Senior Advisor, Quantitative Management Associates
  • Boardrooms & Bathrooms: Trans Issues in the Workplace
    • Janet Mock, Author, TV Host, and Advocate
    • Angelica Ross, Founder, TransTech Social Enterprises

Hundreds of senior LGBT and Ally business leaders from around the world will convene on Wednesday, May 11 for the sixth annual Out Leadership Summit in the U.S., hosted by global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, at the Edison Ballroom.

Formerly known as Out on the Street, Out Leadership Summits convene a select group of senior executives to engage in the global conversation at the intersection of LGBTI and business – and to emphasize the opportunity that LGBTI equality presents as a driver of business value and competitive advantage. In 2016, Out Leadership Summits will be held on 5 continents. Out Leadership will release its video "Driving Business and Equality Forward for 2016" at the U.S. Summit.

"Since our inception, Greenberg Traurig has built an inclusive firm based on equality, fairness, and authenticity that includes a large LGBTI family at every level of our organization," said Richard. A Rosenbaum, Executive Chairman, Greenberg Traurig, LLP. "We understand the moral, business, and legal case for LGBTI equality and we are proof that an inclusive, supportive environment translates into happiness, better client service, and success. While we as a society have made progress, recent measures that sanction LGBTI discrimination and overturn existing LBGTI protections show that our work is far from over."

"When it comes to advancing LGBTI rights, there's no more powerful force than the business community," said Todd G. Sears, Founder & Principal, Out Leadership. "At this year's Summit, we're proud to share the initial results of a groundbreaking study of the economic impacts of discrimination in North Carolina – the first results from our partnership with the Williams Institute of the UCLA School of Law.  The study demonstrates that North Carolina will pay a significant price for its government's lack of foresight. States (and countries) can either have modern economies driven by knowledge industries like technology, financial services, and pharmaceuticals, or they can discriminate against LGBT people. They can't have it both ways."

A full agenda and list of speakers can be found here.  

For live updates from this year's Out on the Street: US LGBT Leadership Summit, follow @OutLeadership, @gt_law, and #OutLeadership.

ABOUT GREENBERG TRAURIG, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, multi-practice law firm with approximately 1,900 attorneys serving clients from 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm is No. 1 on the 2015 Law360 Most Charitable Firms list, third largest in the U.S. on the 2015 Law360 400, Top 20 on the 2015 Am Law Global 100, and among the 2015 BTI Brand Elite. More information at: www.gtlaw.com.

ABOUT OUT LEADERSHIP

Out Leadership is a global LGBT business advisory that partners with the world's most influential companies to build business opportunities, cultivate talent, and drive LGBT equality forward. We believe that LGBT inclusion positively impacts business results, and that including LGBT people at the most senior level of executive leadership builds business. We call this idea Return on Equality™.

Comprised of 69 member firms from the financial services, technology, legal and insurance industries, and dedicated to cross-industry collaboration, Out Leadership is a certified B Corporation. Out Leadership operates two industry-specific business initiatives: Out on the Street and Out in Law, and three talent initiatives: Quorum, which aims to increase LGBT representation on corporate boards; OutNEXT, the first global talent development program for emerging LGBT leaders; and OutWOMEN, connecting senior level LGBT women in business.

For more information, please visit www.outleadership.com 

SOURCE Out Leadership

Related Links

http://www.outleadership.com