Intel Corp. headquarters in Santa Clara, California. Photo: maybefalse/iStockphoto.com

Two diversity and inclusion groups are hoping to work with Intel Corp. to implement its new diversity rule, which will require its law firms to have a minimum percentage of diverse attorneys as equity partners.

Steven Rodgers, Intel's general counsel, authored a blog post in November announcing the new rule for Intel's outside counsel, which will require "at least 21% of the firm's U.S. equity partners are women and at least 10% of the firm's U.S. equity partners are underrepresented minorities." The rule will take effect Jan. 1, 2021.

Women Owned Law, a national nonprofit networking group for women-owned law firms and legal service firms, and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce co-signed a letter this month applauding the new rule and asking to help Intel's legal department in implementing it.

Steven R. Rodgers, executive vice president and general counsel of Intel Corp.

"We are particularly excited for the legal industry to catch up with the best practices of the rest of the private sector," Jonathan Lovitz, senior vice president at the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview Thursday.

Lovitz explained that the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce has worked with Intel in the past to match it with diverse suppliers and expects that it will help connect diverse law firms to the company's legal department.

"For the Intel rule to succeed, these corporations have to open their doors to diverse suppliers and that's why we signed on," Lovitz explained.

Nicole Galli, the president and founder of Women Owned Law and managing partner at the Law Offices of N.D. Galli in Philadelphia, said in an interview Thursday that Intel's rule will require the company's in-house counsel to pay attention to the composition of the law firms they work with.

Nicole D. Galli president and founder of Women Owned Law.

"The fundamental thing, which is why I think the Intel rule is important, is that there has to be a motivation to change. If you're not going to get the business unless you change, then you're going to change," Galli said.

She added she would like to see what can be done to help smaller law firms owned by women and other diverse attorneys get work with Intel and other large corporations.

"The challenge that I see is how can we help corporations get comfortable and what can we do to grow the firms that are already diverse?" Galli asked. "Maybe it's time for something completely new and different. To me, this is a wonderful step but I do think there is much more that needs to be done."

An Intel spokesperson told Corporate Counsel in an email Thursday that the company is "thrilled" with the responses it has received since announcing the rule. The company is also "creating more opportunities for diverse law students to learn about tech."

"Through these programs, Intel aims to improve access to in-house careers at tech companies by expanding opportunities to connect and learn, while removing barriers for underrepresented talent in the legal industry," the statement said.