A Multicultural Law Firm - Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity & Inclusion at Marshall Gerstein & Borun

We recruit the best minds from all walks of life, and we work hard to maintain a working and learning environment where different perspectives are valued and thrive.  Diversity and inclusion are not merely firm initiatives; they are values that help define who we are and guide what we do.

We sustain this focus through the leadership of our Diversity Committee which is chaired by Roger A. Heppermann, a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, and includes a diverse representation of partners, associates as well as leaders from the executive management team. 

The Diversity Committee liaisons with the professional development, recruiting, pro bono, and marketing committees as well as the practice groups to ensure that diversity and inclusion are considered and incorporated at every level of the firm’s management and operations. 

“It is important to us to continually evaluate and fine tune our diversity practices as we strive to fully embrace a multicultural environment.  In addition, we have a shared responsibility with our clients and the legal community to engage in sustainable and collaborative action,” said Mr. Heppermann.  "The Committee developed a Diversity Strategic Plan that provides the tools and guideposts for bench marking our achievements with mutual accountability built into our operations and review systems." 

Diversity Strategic Plan

Mission Statement

For more than 50 years, we have delivered the highest quality of service to our clients using diverse legal teams that are strengthened by our collective commitment to excellence, ethics, collaboration and inclusion of different perspectives.

Working Action Plan

All strategies should strengthen and support our people, our client service and our financial success.

The Diversity Committee is committed to a long-range action plan that will fulfill its mission, understanding that many of its provisions will require persistent and consistent dedication, and the involvement of every individual within the firm.  Our primary strategies for implementing the firm’s diversity mission are:  internal education, recruiting, retention, external communication and accountability.

Internal Education

Our goal is to increase awareness, dialogue, and expertise on diversity-related issues within the firm.

  • Communicate clear, concise and inclusive standards for mutual respect and dependability
  • Increase awareness of and appreciation for cultural differences and strategies for inclusion
  • Present the business case for diversity to attorneys, professionals and staff at regular meetings and post on firm portal
  • Communicate the importance that each committee and practice group integrate diversity considerations into professional and client development
  • Monitor, evaluate, and communicate diversity-related statistics and analyses
  • Provide notice of opportunities to participate in diversity events
  • Identify opportunities for diversity consultant to provide narrowly tailored education and guidance directed to selected committees, groups and/or individuals

Recruiting

Our goal is to increase the firm’s diverse population.

  • Make diversity a priority in recruiting and hiring
  • Conduct diversity-based training for all attorneys and representatives of the firm who interview candidates
  • Change our recruiting process to increase recruiting from diverse populations
  • Implement programs to attract diverse lateral associates and partners
  • Enhance firm identity/name recognition through pipeline initiatives in collaboration with clients, law schools, and minority organizations and publications

Retention

Our goal is to retain our diverse population by providing an environment that supports them and maximizes opportunities for professional development and advancement.

  • Develop and implement, in a concrete, consistent fashion, programs that provide equal access to opportunities
  • Expect each practice group to integrate diversity into professional and client development
  • Articulate clear expectations for advancement (core competencies and other skills)
  • Improve performance review processes to increase their value and effectiveness for reviewers and those being reviewed
  • Articulate and reinforce expectation that associates, professionals and staff take personal responsibility for their professional development and success within the firm
  • Assist and empower all individuals to take personal responsibility for their professional development and success within the firm
  • Monitor employee development and promote early intervention where appropriate
  • Promote clear communication among partners, associates, and staff
  • Increase associate involvement in client and new business development
  • Continue to integrate diversity into firm culture and to foster a supportive and inclusive environment for retention of diverse population
  • Continuously evaluate and improve effectiveness of firm procedures for retaining our diverse population

External Communication

Our goal is for our commitment to diversity to be an integral part of our firm’s message.

  • Share our diversity policy and practices with the legal community, including clients and potential recruits
  • Increase visibility and external recognition of the firm’s commitment to diversity in order to establish ourselves as a recognized leader on diversity issues
  • Demonstrate to our clients and firm members our commitment to diversity
  • Articulate and model to others, e.g., clients, vendors, and agents, our expectation that they respect and support our commitment to diversity
  • Leverage our commitment to strengthen client relationships, professional development and attorney recruiting

Accountability

Our goal is to ensure consistent execution of the diversity plan at all levels of the firm and to evaluate its effectiveness.

  • Implement mechanisms to hold the firm, the Diversity Committee, and each individual within the firm accountable for progress in diversity
  • Include diversity-related activities and engagement in time keeping, evaluation, and compensation
  • Expect each individual to articulate in their self-evaluation what he/she has done to advance diversity
  • Expect each individual’s professional development plan to articulate what he/she will do to advance diversity
  • Expect each committee and practice group to integrate diversity into its professional and client development plans
  • Expect each attorney to represent the firm at diversity-related events
  • Systematically evaluate and improve effectiveness of firm procedures for retaining our diverse population
  • Communicate regularly to the firm our diversity-related achievements, programs, and goals

Community Outreach

As we sharpen our commitment to the core values of diversity and inclusion, we recognize that our efforts have to transcend beyond our firm to the larger legal community in Chicago and beyond.  To that end, our firm is actively involved in various organizations that work to enhance the overall levels of diversity and inclusion in our profession and communities.  The following is a representative list of the organizations we support:

Dedicated Service

In addition to the firm’s support of organizations like the ones listed above, many individuals in the firm commit personal time and resources to make diversity and inclusion active values in their professional lives.  Jeffrey S. Sharp, the firm’s Managing Partner, is a mentor in the Chicago Committee's Mentorship Academy.  "Just as promoting equal opportunity is important to our community, sustaining a welcoming and inclusive culture is important to our firm because it allows us to draw from a broader talent pool in order to better serve our clients," said Mr. Sharp.  The Academy is a year-long program designed to bring minority attorneys at all levels together with leaders in law firms to build substantive individual and group mentoring relationships. 

The Firm is actively engaged in "pipeline" on-campus programs such as the recent  “Intellectual Property Law Sneak Peek Day” held at the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign, Illinois.  Lynn Janulis, Ph.D. and Gina Bicknell, associates at Marshall, Gerstein & Borun, were panelists and moderators in this unique program. Hosted by the Latino Law Students Association, the IP Sneak Peek Day offered minority and women undergraduate students an opportunity to learn about law school and intellectual property legal careers. 

Partner Paul Stephens was a panelist  in a "Roundtable Discussion on Diversity" at the 2008 Microsoft Women and Minority Law Student IP Summit, held in Chicago.  The program focused on career development, recruiting and retention for minorities and women in law firms and corporate legal departments. 

Partner Julianne Hartzell, serves on the Board of Directors for the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law Firms, a non-profit association whose mission is to find and share efficient and effective methods to enhance the retention and promotion of women lawyers and provide support for women's initiatives in law firms.  “I am very excited about serving on the Board of the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law Firms.  The Coalition provides an important forum for communicating ideas and learning from the shared experiences of others to bring about change in the legal community,” said Ms. Hartzell. 

Associates at the firm are also taking an interest in increasing diversity in the legal profession. Jeremy D. Protas, a patent attorney with an emphasis on electrical engineering, recently founded a scholarship for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) law students interested in pursuing a career in patent law. "Diversity in the legal community, and especially in the patent law community, is important to me. My hope is that this scholarship will encourage LGBT law students to consider careers in patent law at firms that share my commitment," said Mr. Protas. Mr. Protas plans to award the first scholarship this fall.

In this highly competitive and increasingly global market, there is a reason that the world’s most creative companies count on Marshall, Gerstein & Borun to secure, protect and promote their valuable intellectual assets.  Our diverse teams deliver inspired efforts and excellent results that draw on the many perspectives represented in our firm. This combination of experience, inclusion and innovation makes Marshall, Gerstein & Borun much more than just a legal service provider. It makes us a powerful strategic partner.