LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sidley Austin LLP* is pleased to announce that the firm was recognised with an award for recruiting and attracting talent from diverse backgrounds at the Black Solicitors Network (BSN) UK Diversity Legal Awards 2011 ceremony. These national industry awards recognise the work of those organisations and individuals who are making significant contributions in the area of promoting diversity within, and equality of access into, the legal profession.
Sidley received an award in the Recruitment category for the innovative ways in which the firm has recruited diverse talent.
“We feel proud and honoured to be acknowledged by our peers for promoting a cause about which we at Sidley feel passionate,” said Elizabeth Uwaifo, partner and London Chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee. “We believe that to achieve greater diversity in the future, we must start by facilitating the diversity of candidates that will become eligible to enter the profession. We thank the Black Solicitors Network for their tireless drive for greater diversity and also thank the Windsor Fellowship for giving Sidley the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to diversity.”
“Sidley is dedicated to promoting diversity within the legal profession globally,” said Thomas A. Cole, Chair of the firm’s Executive Committee. “This award demonstrates this commitment and further validates the importance of our firmwide diversity and inclusion efforts.”
Sidley was recently ranked the 7th most diverse firm in London according to research carried out by BSN for its Diversity League Table (DLT). BSN is committed to achieving equality of access, retention and promotion of black solicitors.
Sidley is a leading and progressive proponent of law firm diversity and inclusion and has been a pioneer in creating opportunities for women and lawyers of diverse backgrounds. Sidley’s commitment to diversity and inclusion has included the creation of the Sidley Prelaw Scholars Initiative, launched in 2006 and the first program of its kind among U.S. law firms. The Initiative seeks to encourage greater diversity in law schools by providing financial support during the law school application process to racially and ethnically diverse undergraduate students.
Sidley Austin LLP is one of the world’s premier full-service law firms, with approximately 1700 lawyers practising in 17 U.S. and international cities, including Beijing, Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. Repeating its performance in the inaugural 2010 survey, Sidley received the most first-tier national rankings of any U.S. law firm in the 2011/12 U.S.News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” survey. Sidley was also named the U.S.News – Best Lawyers “Law Firm of the Year” in both Corporate Law and Securities Regulation in the 2011/12 survey (the first year of such designations). BTI, a Boston-based research and consulting firm, has named Sidley as one of only three firms to have been in the top ten of the BTI Client Service rankings every year since the inception of those rankings in 2001, and as number one in three of those years.
* Sidley Austin LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership which operates at the firm’s offices other than Chicago, London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney, is affiliated with other partnerships, including Sidley Austin LLP, an Illinois limited liability partnership (Chicago); Sidley Austin LLP, a separate Delaware limited liability partnership (London); Sidley Austin LLP, a separate Delaware limited liability partnership (Singapore); Sidley Austin, a New York general partnership (Hong Kong); Sidley Austin, a Delaware general partnership of registered foreign lawyers restricted to practicing foreign law (Sydney); and Sidley Austin Nishikawa Foreign Law Joint Enterprise (Tokyo). The affiliated partnerships are referred to herein collectively as Sidley Austin, Sidley, or the firm.
For purposes of the New York State Bar rules, this press release may be considered Attorney Advertising and the headquarters of the firm are Sidley Austin LLP 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, 212.839.5300 and Sidley Austin LLP One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, 312.853.7000. Prior results described herein do not guarantee a similar outcome.