CONTACT : Barbara Fornasiero; 248.260.8466; barbara@eafocus.com
CHICAGO —August 22, 2018—Brinks Gilson & Lione, one of the nation’s largest intellectual property law firms, and with an office in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is pleased to announce that through its participation in the Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule Pilot Program 1.0, the firm has achieved Mansfield Rule Certification and Certification Plus status.
Diversity Lab bestowed the accreditation as part of its Mansfield Rule Pilot Program 1.0 aimed at increasing diversity among leadership in law firms. Brinks participated in the initiative along with more than 40 other top law firms. The program was also supported by the legal departments of many U.S. and international corporations.
“We were proud to participate in Diversity Lab’s initiative, and are honored to be not just Mansfield Rule Certified, but Mansfield Certified Plus,” said Gus Siller, firm President at Brinks Gilson & Lione. “Here at Brinks we know firsthand how invaluable diversity is, and we’re committed to do what we can to further push the needle toward improving diversity and inclusion in the legal field.”
Inspired by the NFL’s Rooney Rule, the Mansfield Rule measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered women and minority lawyers – at least 30% of the candidate pool – for significant leadership and governance roles, as well as in partnership promotions and lateral hiring.
Firms tracked their metrics and reviewed the data at the end of the yearlong process, which began in the summer of 2017, and the firms that successfully met the standards and considered diverse attorneys for 70% or more of their leadership committees and roles that exist at the firm, qualified to become Mansfield Rule Certified. In an effort to highlight and celebrate progress, firms that achieved Mansfield Rule Certification also have the opportunity to provide data on their current diversity representation in leadership during the data collection period.
Brinks achieved Mansfield Rule Certification Plus status by exceeding the initiative’s certification standards and not only considering at least 30% of diverse candidates for leadership positions and senior level recruiting over the past year, but by also having representation of 30% diverse attorneys in more than half of the firm’s key leadership positions.
“We worked hard to implement the Mansfield Rule over the past year as a part of our firm’s strong commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said Betsy Derwinski, shareholder at Brinks Gilson & Lione. “We are proud to be one of the trailblazing firms that piloted the initiative with Diversity Lab and are thrilled to have exceeded the standards that were set.”
Brinks Gilson & Lione
Celebrating more than 100 years of intellectual property law, Brinks Gilson & Lione is one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the US, and helps clients around the world to protect and enforce their intellectual property rights. Our more than 130 lawyers, patent agents and scientific advisors assist clients in all aspects of patent, trademark, unfair competition, trade secret, and copyright law. Brinks attorneys provide informed counsel with respect to innovations in a range of complex and valuable technologies, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, bioengineering, industrial manufacturing, electronics and software, and medical devices. More information is at www.brinksgilson.com.
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