DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Marshall Dennehey has long been committed to diversity and inclusion with a commitment that starts at the top. Our current Executive Committee members, G. Mark Thompson, Howard P. Dwoskin and Craig S. Hudson, as well as our past leadership, have set the tone on this issue by clearly and consistently emphasizing that a diverse and inclusive environment is intertwined with the success of the firm.

Diversity means more to us than ethnic diversity. We strive to make our firm a place where ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, neuro-diverse individuals and those who are disabled can succeed. We are constant in our efforts to retain and grow our diverse population as that strengthens our organization.

Our history of promoting minority attorneys goes back three decades to when Hiliary Holloway became the firm’s first African-American shareholder in 1990. Presently, we have several minority attorneys who hold positions of leadership at the firm, including Kevin Hexstall who is a member of our Board of Directors. We actively seek to hire or promote minorities across professional and support staff as well. The directors of our IT and HR Departments are diverse and professionals of various ethnic backgrounds serve as managers and supervisors across many administrative departments.

DE&I COMMITTEE

Marshall Dennehey’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee is focused on improving efforts to recruit, retain, advance and enhance the experience of diverse attorneys, professionals and administrative staff throughout the firm. Comprised of senior and junior minority attorneys, and non-diverse allies from a cross-section of the firm’s offices, the committee provides informed guidance and practical solutions to work toward social equity and cultural competency. Members include:

• Mohamed Bakry, Shareholder, Casualty Department, Philadelphia, PA
• William Banton, Jr., Senior Counsel; Human Relations Committee; Co-Chair, Behavioral Health Risk and Liability Practice Group, Philadelphia, PA
• Butler Buchanan, III, Philadelphia Office Managing Attorney; Hiring Chair; DE&I Committee Chair
• Alicia Calaf, Shareholder, Casualty Department, Roseland, NJ
• Melissa Dziak, Shareholder, Health Care Department, Scranton, PA
• Sang Woo Lee, Shareholder, Casualty Department, Philadelphia, PA
• Tonya Lindsey, Shareholder, Casualty Department, New York, NY
• A.C. Nash, Shareholder, Casualty Department; Casualty Supervisor, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Nané Pr’Out, Director of Information Technology, Philadelphia, PA
• Stuart Sostmann, Shareholder, Co-Chair, Construction Injury Practice Group; Pittsburgh Assistant Office Managing Attorney
• Michael Turner, Senior Counsel; Co-Chair, Asbestos Litigation Practice Group, Philadelphia, PA
• Jessica Wachstein, Shareholder, Mount Laurel, NJ
• Karen Williams, Director of Human Resources, Philadelphia, PA
• Jeremy Zacharias, RPLU, Shareholder, Professional Liability Department, Mount Laurel, NJ

DE&I INITIATIVES

The Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee has set into place a number of initiatives that assist in both hiring and retaining attorneys of color. We have a mentoring system in place where our minority shareholders reach out to our younger minority associates to provide them with support, counsel and encouragement, which can make a significant difference in their professional progression.

In addition to mentorship, we hold affinity events throughout the year for our minority attorneys, including luncheon events specific to our African-American and Asian-American attorneys, respectively. We also hold an annual meeting and dinner in our Philadelphia headquarters office for all minority attorneys of the firm, with an agenda and purpose designed to help our attorneys to thrive in a majority environment. This event includes educational programming with both internal and external speakers, and concludes with a dinner that focuses on camaraderie and making horizontal connections within the greater firm for an added layer of encouragement and support.

We also strongly support our minority attorneys in their engagement with affinity groups that will further their professional development and growth. You will find them at meetings and events of the National Bar Association, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Hispanic National Bar Association, Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, and other regional groups in the cities and communities where we retain offices.

Recent Recognition

• Law360 Pulse 2023 Glass Ceiling Report, we ranked #3 among law firms with 251-600 attorneys
• Marshall Dennehey Named a 2022 "Tipping the Scales" Firm by the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance
• BTI Associate Satisfaction A-Listers 2022: BTI Survey of Law Firms Where Associates are Happiest
• Law360 Pulse 2021 Glass Ceiling Report, we ranked #9 among law firms with 251-600 attorneys
• 2021 Diversity Leader in Business Award, Philadelphia Business Journal—Butler Buchanan, III, recipient
• The American Lawyer 2020 A-List, Female Equity Partner Scorecard, Ranked #3 among the Am Law 200
• 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Award from Liberty Mutual Insurance
• 2019 Minority Business Leaders Award, Philadelphia Business Journal—Niki T. Ingram, recipient
• Law360’s 2019 Glass Ceiling Report, Best Law Firms for Female Partners – we ranked #2 among law firms with 300-599 attorneys
• Women Inc. – Top 100 Law Firms for Women, 2019
• National Law Journal’s 2019 Women’s Scorecard – we placed in the top 12% of law firms recognized
• Honor Roll of Legal Organizations Welcoming to Women Professionals – Pennsylvania Bar Association, 2014