Duane Morris is committed to being a law firm that includes people with various backgrounds, skills, perspectives and experiences, and fully uses their talents to provide legal services of the highest quality.
The Firm believes it should capitalize on the strength emanating from these differences. Drawing on the talents of all of the Firm's personnel helps to create an optimum, creative and inclusive workplace that helps the Firm deliver outstanding results to its clients and retain talent. Duane Morris recognizes the beneficial impact of a welcoming and inclusive culture on Firm morale, productivity, strategies and service for our clients.
Duane Morris is committed to fostering understanding, communication, equal opportunities and respect among all people in the firm, including people of different races, religions, ages, sex, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, national origins, sexual orientations, medical conditions or disabilities, marital, veteran or family statuses and other protected classifications.
The Executive Committee of Duane Morris has appointed a Diversity and Inclusion Committee to facilitate the implementation of this Mission Statement.
To learn more, please contact Joseph K. West, Duane Morris Partner and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, or Umica A. Anderson-Howard, D&I Manager.
Diversity & Inclusion Committee
Duane Morris Diversity & Inclusion Committee is chaired by Partner and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Joseph K. West and committee vice chair and D&I Manager Umica Anderson-Howard, and comprised of partners from various practice groups throughout its U.S. and London offices. The members are dedicated to empowering all attorneys and creating a positive and supportive working environment.
Employee Resource Groups
Duane Morris established its first affinity group in 2016 and has since included additional groups to further create a positive, supportive and inclusive culture for our colleagues. All of our lawyers and staff are able to participate in high quality educational programming and professional development opportunities, including through voluntary participation in our employee resource group initiatives. For example, our staff groups and attorney groups (Asian Americans, Black/African Americans, Foreign Born, Hispanic/Latinos, DM Pride (LGBTQ) and People with Disabilities and Neurodiversity) are voluntary and open to all our colleagues and help build a sense of community and belonging, foster mentoring relationships, create client development opportunities and host speakers and events throughout the year. For more information about the Employee Resource Groups, please contact Joseph K. West or Umica A. Anderson-Howard.
The Power of Materialization in Black Media in Honor of Black History Month
It has been said that journalism is the first draft of history. The lens through which people of color are viewed has always been shaped by the words and images portrayed in the media. In a celebration of Black History Month, we are reminded of the power to materialize and create our history every day. Duane Morris Partner and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Joseph K. West will be joined by Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard for an inspiring discussion on her journey from growing up in Harlem, attending Columbia University and Fordham Law School, to leading and closing deals at major networks that introduced new Black and diverse stories that better reflect our experiences and histories.
A Conversation with Robert Raben in Honor of Juneteenth 2023
Duane Morris Partner and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Joseph K. West was joined by Robert Raben, former assistant U.S. attorney general, CEO and founder of the national public policy firm The Raben Group, and founder of the March on Washington Film Festival. Robert will share his vision and goals in creating the March on Washington Film Festival, which “serves as a national platform to tell, celebrate and increase awareness of the untold events and icons and foot soldiers, known and unsung, of the Civil Rights Movement."
Virtual Fireside Chat and Book Reveal with Bruce Jackson, Associate General Counsel, Microsoft
Microsoft's associate general counsel shares the inspirational story of his rise from childhood poverty in pre-gentrified New York City to a stellar career at the top of the technology and music industries in this stirring true story of grit and perseverance. As an accomplished Microsoft executive, Bruce Jackson handles billions of dollars of commerce as its associate general counsel while he plays a crucial role in the company's corporate diversity efforts. But few of his colleagues can understand the weight he carries with him to the office each day. He kept his past hidden from sight as he ascended the corporate ladder but shares it in full for the first time here. For more information, please visit the event page.
Diversity and Inclusion Retreat
Each spring, attorneys, firm leadership and guests from across the country attend the annual Duane Morris Diversity and Inclusion Retreat to share their experiences at the firm and delve into topics including retention, marketing, client service, delivering excellent outcomes and business development strategies. These retreats are open to all attorneys and are one of many educational events offered to our attorneys throughout the year.
The 2024 retreat was held on May 4 and featured panels and discussions on a variety of topics, including:
Leveraging Uniqueness to Create Professional and Business Opportunities
Featuring:
Hector Perez, Founder and CEO, Quantum FBI LLC
Sonia Zeledón, Associate General Counsel, Compliance and Data Privacy, The Hershey Company
D&I Sustainability: Impact, Opportunities and Challenges
Featuring:
Fatimah Conley, Esq., Vice President of Equity and Chief Diversity Officer, University of Delaware, Office of Institutional Equity
Tamika Crawl-Bey, Esq., Counsel, Intellectual Property, Corning
Cheryl Maddox, Esq., Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, PFM
Inside Information: Perspectives from In-House
Featuring:
Chauntell Bobo, Deputy General Counsel, Women’s Tennis Association
Megha J. Charalambides, Associate General Counsel, Head of Employment, Zum LLC
Selyn Hong, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, American Chemical Society
George B. Vashon Lecture Series
In conjunction with the retreat, Duane Morris holds its annual George B. Vashon Lecture. In 2024, the lecture explored the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina, which effectively ended race-based college admissions programs. Firm Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Matthew A. Taylor provided the welcome address and Trial Partner and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Joseph K. West gave opening remarks for the lecture and discussion featuring:
Keynote Speaker
Antonio Garcia Padilla, Former President, University of Puerto Rico; Former Dean, University of Puerto Rico Law School; and Member of the ABA Accreditation Council ABA Accreditation Council
Panelists
Adanwimo “Ada” Okafor, General Counsel and Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer, American Board of Surgery
Dariely Rodriguez, Deputy Chief Counsel, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Thomas G. Servodidio, Vice Chairman, Duane Morris LLP
Sozi Tulante, General Counsel, Form Energy