Daily Journal Recognizes Walsworth for Its Diversity

With a commitment to diversity spanning more than 25 years, Walsworth was once again highlighted in the Daily Journal’s Jul. 1 article, entitled “California Firm Recognized for its Diversity,” after it was recently accepted to the National Association for Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF). In terms of headcount, Walsworth became the biggest member in California and third nationwide.

Walsworth, a firm of more than 80 attorneys with offices in Los Angeles, Orange and San Francisco, boasts 60 percent of female non-equity partners and 54 percent of female equity partners.

NAMWOLF currently has roughly 50 law firm members. CEO Joel Stern explained that law firms applying for membership undergo an extensive vetting process, including review by corporate counsel they work with and three references from Fortune 500 companies. “Any firm that gets into NAMWOLF goes through an onerous acceptance process by in-house counsel,” he said, mentioning that the Coca-Cola Co.’s legal department often takes part. “It’s a great honor for these firms and means they are of very high caliber.”

In-house counsel at a wide variety of companies have prioritized the hiring of outside law firms that focus on creating a diverse workforce. As an example, Microsoft Corp. announced it would assign a bonus of up to 2 percent of the legal fees billed to the companies for firms that demonstrated a commitment to increasing diversity in leadership roles.

Partner Deidre Cohen Katz said the firm has had a gradual, yet dedicated, pursuit of diversification. “Beyond just formalizing what we do, who we are and what we’ve been, this allows us to help a number of companies that are specifically looking for diverse law firms,” she said.

Click here to read the full article.