Shook Affirms Pledge to Business Coalition for the Equality Act

Shook, Hardy & Bacon is among what are now 400 major businesses nationally who have pledged to support the Human Rights Campaign’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act.

The bipartisan bill adds clear, comprehensive, non-discriminatory protections for LGBTQ people to the nation’s civil rights laws. It would explicitly ban discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, access to credit and federal funding, and would add protections against sex discrimination to laws that had not previously included them.

The firm’s vision statement provides that Shook is “deeply passionate about achieving the best results for our clients from the boardroom to the courtroom and sustaining a diverse environment where everyone is respected, feels appreciated, and experiences fulfillment and enjoyment through meaningful personal contributions.”

The Equality Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) on February 18, 2021, and in the Senate by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) on February 23, 2021. The Equality Act passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 25, 2021, with a bipartisan vote of 224-206.

The businesses who support the Act have operations in 50 states, represent 14.6 million employees across the United States and have a combined revenue of more than $6.8 trillion.