Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Hosts Attorney of Color Retreat, Continues Dialogue on Diversity Initiatives

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney hosted the Attorneys of Color retreat — "Meeting the Challenge: Achieving Organizational Strength through Diversity and Inclusion" — on October 21, 2011 in the firm's Philadelphia office. The full-day event featured breakout sessions and keynote speakers, and continued an ongoing dialogue between firm management and attorneys of color on diversity initiatives, goals and methodologies.

The morning opened with introductions of the firm's attorneys of color, followed by a "speed networking" event, which brought together attorneys and firm management for brief one-on-one conversations. Then, attorneys of color and firm management met in separate breakout sessions facilitated by nationally recognized diversity expert Verna Myers — attorneys of color discussing the topic, "Helping Each Other Succeed," while firm management separately covered "Reaching Across Differences to Excel."

During lunch, conference attendees heard from two keynote speakers — Celeste Moy of Celeste M. Moy PLLC and Lonnie Taylor, managing director of the Washington, D.C. office of Diversified Search.

Moy previously served in-house at Sprint, XM Satellite Radio, Black Entertainment Television and Bank of America and is currently in private practice. Taylor is an established and highly regarded executive search professional with over 20 years of experience in managing executives and recruiting talent, and was formerly Vice President of External Affairs at Sprint Nextel. Moy and Taylor's presentation, "The Journey to an Inclusive Law Firm: Individual Lessons and Leadership Initiatives," shared personal experiences and ideas on how legal organizations can draw strength from a diversified workforce.

Following lunch, senior in-house counsel from some of the firm's largest clients discussed their companies' in-house diversity initiatives, the role diversity plays in choosing outside counsel and benefits derived from working with attorneys of color.

In a final session, all firm attendees gathered together to address to share ideas on how to move the firm closer to its goals of inclusion and diversity.

For more information on Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney's pledge to diversity, visit our diversity initiatives page.