Chevron Honors Kean Miller For Diversity and Inclusion
Kean Miller is pleased to report that the firm has been selected as one of three recipients of the Chevron Corporation Law Function’s fourth annual Law Firm Diversity Recognition Award. The award program, started in 2005, recognizes Chevron’s law firm partners who have distinguished themselves by demonstrating their commitment to diversity in the legal profession and by fostering an inclusive work environment.
Chevron Client Team leader Bill Jarman and Client Team member Victor Gregoire accepted the award on behalf of the firm at the Chevron Law Function awards ceremony at Chevron Park in San Ramon on July 15, 2008. In recognition of this achievement, the Chevron Law Function will donate Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) to a local non-profit legal organization to be named by Kean Miller.
“The Chevron Law Function is widely recognized for its diversity initiatives and inclusiveness. Chevron is also recognized for its expectation of a diverse workforce within its strategic partner firms throughout the country. We at Kean Miller are honored to be recognized with this important award,” said Gary A. Bezet, Managing Partner of the 125-lawyer firm. The other 2008 award recipients are Denver-based Holland & Hart LLP and San Francisco-based Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.
Diversity at Kean Miller:
From its inception, Kean Miller has recognized the value of diverse ethnic, cultural and racial backgrounds to the balance and success of the firm. Kean Miller is committed to promoting a culture of inclusion, not only within the firm, but in the communities where its attorneys and staff live and work. The best evidence of this commitment is found in the firm’s statistics: Kean Miller has one of the highest percentages of women lawyers and women partners of any major law firm in the United States; Kean Miller ranks among Louisiana firms having the highest percentages of minority attorneys; currently the firm has 38% women lawyers and 11% minority lawyers; among partners, 27% are women and 8% are minorities; currently 20% of the firm’s administrative management, 10% of legal assistants, and 13% of firm staff and support services are minorities.
Community Initiatives:
Kean Miller launched two new diversity initiatives in 2007 and will continue those initiatives in 2008. The first initiative is the Kean Miller Connection; a law school preparatory program for college juniors and seniors from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in area law schools. The two-day workshop provided information on law school admission standards, insight into opportunities in the legal field, speakers from all facets of the legal profession, financial aid information, and general information designed to encourage minorities to enter the profession. The second initiative was the Louisiana Diversity Forum. The Forum was an interactive workshop that attracted almost 100 area professionals to Baton Rouge to hear from a variety of speakers and learn how to put diversity to work in their own businesses. Speakers included representatives from Shell Oil Company, The Shaw Group, Chevron Corporation, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, the Louisiana Commission on Human Rights, the LSU Law Center, and the Southern University Law Center. The 2008 Louisiana Diversity Forum is scheduled for October 2008 in Baton Rouge. In addition to these programs, the firm seeks a more diverse environment by recruiting at all four law schools in Louisiana and regularly participating in state and regional minority law student job fairs, and by sponsoring law school scholarships awarded to minority law students at both the LSU Law Center and the Southern University Law Center. Finally, Kean Miller developed an internal Diversity Council several years ago to promote diversity awareness and initiatives within the firm and the community. The Diversity Council includes attorneys from several practice areas and representatives from our management committee, recruiting committee, client services team, and human resources group. Kean Miller is also an active member of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and participates in the many activities of the association, including the MCCA/Vault Legal Diversity Career Fair in New Orleans on August 11, 2008.
About Kean Miller:
With 125 lawyers, Kean Miller serves the legal needs of Louisiana businesses and Fortune 500 companies with significant operations in the Bayou state. The firm maintains offices in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lake Charles and Plaquemine, Louisiana. The firm serves clients in numerous industries including energy, petrochemical and chemical, technology and telecommunications, transportation, media and advertising, financial services, insurance, gaming, government and education, health care, manufacturing, real estate, retail, construction, and leasing.
The firm combines the talent and expertise of its lawyers into multi-disciplinary client and industry teams. These teams are comprised of seasoned legal professionals from a variety of disciplines who are equipped to identify legal and business needs and to develop superior service strategies that provide unmatched support to the client.
For more information, please contact Steven R. Boutwell at 225.389.3736 (direct) or 225.281.2420 (cell), or steve.boutwell@keanmiller.com
Chevron Client Team leader Bill Jarman and Client Team member Victor Gregoire accepted the award on behalf of the firm at the Chevron Law Function awards ceremony at Chevron Park in San Ramon on July 15, 2008. In recognition of this achievement, the Chevron Law Function will donate Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) to a local non-profit legal organization to be named by Kean Miller.
“The Chevron Law Function is widely recognized for its diversity initiatives and inclusiveness. Chevron is also recognized for its expectation of a diverse workforce within its strategic partner firms throughout the country. We at Kean Miller are honored to be recognized with this important award,” said Gary A. Bezet, Managing Partner of the 125-lawyer firm. The other 2008 award recipients are Denver-based Holland & Hart LLP and San Francisco-based Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.
Diversity at Kean Miller:
From its inception, Kean Miller has recognized the value of diverse ethnic, cultural and racial backgrounds to the balance and success of the firm. Kean Miller is committed to promoting a culture of inclusion, not only within the firm, but in the communities where its attorneys and staff live and work. The best evidence of this commitment is found in the firm’s statistics: Kean Miller has one of the highest percentages of women lawyers and women partners of any major law firm in the United States; Kean Miller ranks among Louisiana firms having the highest percentages of minority attorneys; currently the firm has 38% women lawyers and 11% minority lawyers; among partners, 27% are women and 8% are minorities; currently 20% of the firm’s administrative management, 10% of legal assistants, and 13% of firm staff and support services are minorities.
Community Initiatives:
Kean Miller launched two new diversity initiatives in 2007 and will continue those initiatives in 2008. The first initiative is the Kean Miller Connection; a law school preparatory program for college juniors and seniors from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in area law schools. The two-day workshop provided information on law school admission standards, insight into opportunities in the legal field, speakers from all facets of the legal profession, financial aid information, and general information designed to encourage minorities to enter the profession. The second initiative was the Louisiana Diversity Forum. The Forum was an interactive workshop that attracted almost 100 area professionals to Baton Rouge to hear from a variety of speakers and learn how to put diversity to work in their own businesses. Speakers included representatives from Shell Oil Company, The Shaw Group, Chevron Corporation, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, the Louisiana Commission on Human Rights, the LSU Law Center, and the Southern University Law Center. The 2008 Louisiana Diversity Forum is scheduled for October 2008 in Baton Rouge. In addition to these programs, the firm seeks a more diverse environment by recruiting at all four law schools in Louisiana and regularly participating in state and regional minority law student job fairs, and by sponsoring law school scholarships awarded to minority law students at both the LSU Law Center and the Southern University Law Center. Finally, Kean Miller developed an internal Diversity Council several years ago to promote diversity awareness and initiatives within the firm and the community. The Diversity Council includes attorneys from several practice areas and representatives from our management committee, recruiting committee, client services team, and human resources group. Kean Miller is also an active member of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and participates in the many activities of the association, including the MCCA/Vault Legal Diversity Career Fair in New Orleans on August 11, 2008.
About Kean Miller:
With 125 lawyers, Kean Miller serves the legal needs of Louisiana businesses and Fortune 500 companies with significant operations in the Bayou state. The firm maintains offices in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lake Charles and Plaquemine, Louisiana. The firm serves clients in numerous industries including energy, petrochemical and chemical, technology and telecommunications, transportation, media and advertising, financial services, insurance, gaming, government and education, health care, manufacturing, real estate, retail, construction, and leasing.
The firm combines the talent and expertise of its lawyers into multi-disciplinary client and industry teams. These teams are comprised of seasoned legal professionals from a variety of disciplines who are equipped to identify legal and business needs and to develop superior service strategies that provide unmatched support to the client.
For more information, please contact Steven R. Boutwell at 225.389.3736 (direct) or 225.281.2420 (cell), or steve.boutwell@keanmiller.com