Credit: Владимир Германович/Adobe Stock Law Firm Diversity Pros Fear for Future of DEI Efforts Under Trump Presidency
"Law firms should talk more about what they're doing," argued diversity consultant Joelle Emerson. "One of the things that makes this so controversial is that people don't know what these programs are."
November 06, 2024 at 07:00 PM
5 minute read
What You Need to Know
- Big Law has made strides in recent years with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, but some observers now worry about the rolling back of some of those efforts post-election.
- Donald Trump has signaled a possible desire to take on so-called 'divisive concepts.'
- Some legal observers say predicting what might occur may be difficult given that Trump's win is still so fresh.
With Donald Trump set to return to the White House after a historic victory Tuesday, some in the legal community are wondering whether diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that have expanded for the past few years within Big Law and their corporate clients may be rolled back.
Known for a traditionally homogenous workforce, large law firms have struggled for years to diversify their ranks to more accurately reflect the mosaic of America. But firms have lately achieved some degree of success by installing DEI professionals in the C-suite and participating in programs like the Mansfield Certification process, which has focused on ensuring more diverse leadership.
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J. Brugh Lower of Gibbons has entered an appearance for industrial equipment supplier Devco Corporation in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The suit, accusing the defendant of selling knock-off Graco products, was filed Dec. 18 in New Jersey District Court by Rivkin Radler on behalf of Graco Inc. and Graco Minnesota. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, is 3:24-cv-11294, Graco Inc. et al v. Devco Corporation.
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Rebecca Maller-Stein and Kent A. Yalowitz of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer have entered their appearances for Hanaco Venture Capital and its executives, Lior Prosor and David Frankel, in a pending securities lawsuit. The action, filed on Dec. 24 in New York Southern District Court by Zell, Aron & Co. on behalf of Goldeneye Advisors, accuses the defendants of negligently and fraudulently managing the plaintiff's $1 million investment. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, is 1:24-cv-09918, Goldeneye Advisors, LLC v. Hanaco Venture Capital, Ltd. et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from A&O Shearman has stepped in as defense counsel for Toronto-Dominion Bank and other defendants in a pending securities class action. The suit, filed Dec. 11 in New York Southern District Court by Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, accuses the defendants of concealing the bank's 'pervasive' deficiencies in regards to its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the quality of its anti-money laundering controls. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, is 1:24-cv-09445, Gonzalez v. The Toronto-Dominion Bank et al.
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