Lowenstein Sandler has once again been named a Compass Award winner by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), which recognizes law firms and corporations that show a steadfast commitment to building more diverse organizations and a more inclusive legal profession.
LCLD is one of the nation’s leading organizations promoting diversity and consists of more than 350 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners–the leadership of the profession–who have dedicated themselves to creating a truly diverse U.S. legal profession.
Lowenstein has received recognition for the fulfillment of all of LCLD’s requirements, including the submission of a leader’s pledge, participation in the LCLD Fellows and Pathfinder Programs, and participation in an LCLD Pipeline program such as the 1L Scholars program or the Success in Law School Mentoring Program.
Gary M. Wingens, Chair and Managing Partner of Lowenstein Sandler, is one of an impressive roster of law firm leaders who have published their LCLD pledge to promote diversity within their organization. His pledge includes personal promises to, in part, “engage with partners in leadership positions within the firm about the importance of their personal support for our firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, [and] visibly and publicly support the efforts of our firm’s diverse employee affinity groups.“
Lowenstein’s organizational commitment includes continuing “to commit firm resources to the development of metrics-based practice group DEI plans, including equitable assignment systems and recruiting efforts geared to increasing the percentage of diverse lawyers who are interviewed and ultimately hired by our firm … [and] increasing our capacity to measure and financially reward contributions of partners toward our DEI goals–including their personal commitment to DEI, the demographics of client teams they create and the opportunities that they afford to diverse lawyers.”
Danielle Carr, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusionat Lowenstein, says, “Our ongoing partnership with LCLD continues to play an important role in our inclusion efforts. Their leadership development programs are an important component of the firm’s professional development training, and their metrics-based approach provides a model for all of our DEI initiatives.”
This past year, Chandra K. Shih, a Palo Alto-based partner in the firm’s Tech Group and a member of the Seed Stage Investing & Startups and Venture Capital & Tech M&A practices, represented Lowenstein in the 2021 LCLD Fellows Program, a landmark initiative designed for diverse, high-potential, mid-career attorneys at LCLD member organizations that provides professional and personal development opportunities, leadership training, relationship-building opportunities, and access to LCLD members (including managing partners and general counsel).
Nick Samedi, New Jersey- and New York-based counsel in the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate groups, was a member of the 2021 LCLD class of Pathfinders, a program designed for diverse, high-potential attorneys at LCLD member organizations that aims to equip participants with practical tools for developing and leveraging internal professional networks through relationship-building and foundational leadership skills, along with an understanding of career development strategies applicable to both in-house and law firm practice.
Lowenstein also participates in LCLD’s 1L LCLD’s Scholars Program, which provides diverse first-year law students with valuable professional experiences, while introducing them to the value of relationships and network-building.
These initiatives complement the firm’s other commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, such as the Lowenstein Sandler LS Scholars Program, which offers paid summer associate positions and scholarships to promising, diverse first-year law students, and employee resource groups such as the Diversity Leadership Network, the LGBTQ+ Alliance, and the Women’s Initiative Network.
Lowenstein was recently named one of the Best Law Firms for Diversity and Best Law Firms to Work for in the Vault’s 2022 law firm rankings, as well as in the subcategories of Diversity for Women, Racial & Ethnic Diversity, and Diversity for Individuals with Disabilities. The firm was also named to Bloomberg Law’s inaugural Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Framework, which recognizes firms for their level of disclosure of diversity-related metrics and distinguished performance against six core pillars: demographics, leadership and talent pipeline, recruitment and retention, business innovation and strategy, marketing, and diversity and inclusion in the community.
About Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Lowenstein Sandler is a national law firm with over 350 lawyers based in New York, Palo Alto, New Jersey, Utah, and Washington, D.C. The firm represents leaders in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular emphasis on investment funds, life sciences, and technology. Recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and high standard of client service, the firm is committed to the interests of its clients, colleagues, and communities.
