Growing diversity demands
Coca-Cola’s diversity demand for its external counsel is the
most recent and probably the most prominent example of a company using its
financial clout to enhance the careers of underrepresented legal professionals.
It is certainly the strictest example.
But it’s not the first time a company has made demands for
diversity and inclusion and, according to in-house counsel, it probably won’t
be the last.
Four in-house attorneys, including the head of IP at
Novartis and a senior patent counsel at Facebook, say they’ve ramped up their diversity
expectations for law firms in some way over the past year, some in reaction to
The Global Legal Post timeline: ESG and the law
30 March 2021
How law firms and their clients are responding to the environmental, social and governance movement
Shutterstock; John Gomez Wall Street M&A powerhouse Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz is not known for making senior lateral hires. Last April, however, it made an important exception, bringing on board as a consultant Leo Strine, the former Delaware chief justice and a leading proponent of governance reform. “As a judge, he said, “I thought the importance of corporations in our society could not be measured by their stock price, and that it was critical to our nation’s well-being that powerful businesses treat their workers and consumers well, support the communities in which they operate, and focus on environmentally responsible, sustainable wealth creation.”
Lack of trials is
tribulation, say district court judges
In a series of interviews with Managing IP, four of the
busiest district court judges in the US said their top priority this year was
to restart jury trials as soon as possible – but noted that the process would
be tricky, and that they needed professionalism and understanding from
attorneys to make it work.
“My first, second, third and fourth priorities this year are
the same – getting back to trials. There really is no number two,” says Judge
Alan Albright of the District Court for the Western District of Texas, the US’s
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool
Time published a story that provides absolutely astonishing details and framing of activities that took place around the 2020 election. As readers, you deserve a detailed analysis of this story and the people and organizations involved. The recounting of the story in
Time is longer than a chapter in many novels.
Time says additional details will be provided in a series of articles over the next several days. This article is an introduction.
The title is provocative enough. “The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election.” The story goes on to describe in precise detail a coalition of various powerful special interest groups that united, beginning a year before the election, to ensure Joe Biden would win.
Coca-Cola GC threatens attorney fee cuts over D&I
03-02-2021
04-06-2020
Coca-Cola will withhold a nonrefundable 30% of fees from law firms that fail to meet its new diversity requirements, as it criticised the legal sector for not viewing diversity and inclusion (D&I) as a business imperative.
Senior vice-president and global general counsel at the beverages company, Bradley Gayton, outlined the new measures in a letter issued on January 28.
He told US law firms he was mandating the unprecedented move for the legal sector with “a heavy heart”.
“For decades, our profession has had discussions about why diversity is important. We have developed score cards, held summits, established committees and written action plans.” he wrote.