Diversity Overview

View McDermott Momentum, our recently released diversity report

McDermott Will & Emery is committed to a culture that values and nurtures diversity.  We understand that our culture enhances our ability to attract and retain exceptional talent to best serve our clients.  It also helps us bring the best, broadest and most innovative ideas and approaches to client service.  To meet our commitment, we have established diversity programs and practices that have helped us achieve great progress in recent years.

At McDermott, diversity means more than differences in gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation and identity.  It embraces a breadth of ideas, experiences, perspectives and insights that span lines of age, background and culture.  Because solutions to complex problems often require broad and innovative approaches, a diverse team of lawyers and professionals is most likely to provide that breadth of approach.

During the past few years, we formalized our diversity program by establishing three separate diversity committees, with varying programs and initiatives, but each with the same goal—to create and sustain an inclusive work environment where diversity of thought and expression from every employee is valued.

Our diversity initiatives are ultimately directed by our Firm chairman and our Management Committee, to whom our diversity committees report.  However, the work of our diversity committees helps to keep our Firm focused sharply on diversity issues.  These committees help steer our Firm along the path to an ever more inclusive work environment that benefits our lawyers and staff and provides our clients with the excellent legal services they expect.

McDermott works continuously at the highest level of Firm management to ensure equal access to all client development activities, challenging work assignments and viable advancement options for all lawyers by taking the following actions:

• Supporting inclusion and equality at all management levels
• Providing training, mentoring opportunities, recognition and funding for the development of sustainable and growing practices, as well as professional reputations
• Identifying and addressing possible conscious and unconscious stereotypes and biases
• Using surveys and open discussions to solicit our lawyers’ views on our diversity programs and objectives, in an effort to foster and maintain a culture of inclusion and equality
• Communicating that compensation is non-discriminatory
• Implementing reduced-time and flexible schedules to ensure professional development and long-term careers for those lawyers who seek to avail themselves of these alternative work arrangements

The Firm’s diversity is protected and furthered with vigilance at all levels of the Firm.  The door at McDermott is open to all who share our commitment to excellence.