2015 Diversity Leader
WilmerHale
Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington, DC
Co-Managing Partners: Susan Murley and Robert Novick
Employees: 2,268
Recent Recognition Includes:
- Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Corporate Equity Index, scored 100 out of 100, 2009–2014
- Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers, Best Law Firms for Women, 2007–2014
- American Lawyer, “A-List,” 2003–2014
- Crain’s New York, Best Places To Work, 2014
- Washington Post, Top Workplaces, 2014
- Boston Business Journal, Leaders in Diversity, 2013
- Multicultural Law Magazine, Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity and Top Law Firms for Women, 2008–2012
- Yale Law Women, Top Ten Family Friendly Firms, 2008–2012
Kenneth Imo
At Wilmer Hale, an unwavering commitment to the principle of diversity guides our thinking, informs our actions, and influences everything we do, says Kenneth Imo, Director, Diversity.
“A commitment to diversity is one of WilmerHale’s guiding principles. It influences how we recruit and train our lawyers and staff, the type of pro bono cases we undertake, and our philanthropic endeavors in the community. To help the firm develop strategies and launch initiatives that will achieve its diversity goals, and communicate both issues and progress to attorneys and staff, we have created a Diversity Committee for lawyers that reports directly to firm management and a Staff Diversity & Inclusion Council that reports directly to the Chief HR Officer. The firm’s Director of Diversity provides strategic guidance and advice to both.
“Our firm-wide diversity committee is chaired by six partners from our Boston, New York, Palo Alto, and Washington, DC, offices. Each office, in turn, has its own diversity committee consisting of 10–15 lawyers. The Director of Diversity works with Diversity Committee chairs to create and implement firm-wide and office specific initiatives. The Staff Diversity & Inclusion Council comprises senior administrative professionals across the firm, and is chaired by the Managing Director of HR and the Director of Diversity.
“The Diversity Committee provides annual diversity reports to firm leadership that includes demographic data, goals and objectives, and a reporting of the previous year’s accomplishments.
“Firm leadership communicates diversity initiatives and progress to employees through Managing Partner Updates (weekly emails that include notable firm updates) and by posting diversity-related information on the WilmerHale intranet site. The firm’s Diversity Speaker Series program provides a forum to raise awareness about various D&I issues.”
