Shook, Hardy & Bacon Earns Top Marks in 2018 Corporate Equality Index

Shook, Hardy & Bacon reached a major milestone for its inclusive work environment when it earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) 2018 Corporate Equality Index for the tenth consecutive year. Shook's scores secure its place on HRC’s roster of the “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality.”

“It is humbling to be recognized for how we succeed every day,” stated Shook Chair Madeleine McDonough. “Ultimately, we are about creating an environment that encourages collaboration to best serve our clients. If we motivate or inspire other law firms or businesses to act, then we have achieved our goal.”

More than 10 years ago, Shook welcomed Kori Carew, director of strategic diversity initiatives, to its senior leadership in order to promote diversity and inclusion drivers of excellence, education and equity across all of Shook’s offices. Among its many initiatives, Shook has developed targeted programs for professionals who are minority, LGBT, differently abled and veterans aimed at reducing attrition and increasing engagement and crosscultural sponsorship. “We have prioritized understanding cultural differences and cultural fluency as part of creating inclusion and belonging at Shook,” said Carew. “This recognition represents the commitment Shook has made in the past and more importantly, going forward.”

The 2018 HRC Corporate Equality Index rates 887 U.S. employers in various industries; more than 160 law firms are ranked, including a majority of The American Lawyer’s 200 highest-grossing firms. Shook is one of 112 law firms to receive a 100 percent score. Businesses were evaluated on a scale of zero to 100 using criteria that included provision of inclusive workplace protections and benefits for LGBT individuals and public engagement with the LGBTQ community,

Founded in 1889, Shook, Hardy & Bacon has 12 offices in the United States and London, with attorneys and professional staff serving clients in the health, science and technology sectors in areas ranging from product liability defense and commercial litigation to intellectual property prosecution and litigation, environmental and toxic tort, privacy and data security and regulatory counseling.