Pillsbury consistently ranks among the top firms in the United States for both minority and women partners. We are proud of these numbers because they are a byproduct of the firm's unwavering commitment to exceptional performance. Pillsbury was the first AmLaw 100 firm to elect a woman as chair. The firm is a three-time recipient of Chevron's Law Firm Diversity Recognition Award. Pillsbury was the only law firm on Working Mother magazine's Top 10 Companies in 2008; we have appeared on their Top 100 list for four consecutive years.

Diversity is part of who we are, and we work hard to keep it that way. Our reason is simple: To anticipate our clients' needs and help position them for the future, we must have diverse minds.

Diversity Committee
Pillsbury's Diversity Committee includes firm leaders recognized in the legal community for their commitment. Our committee leader has served on the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession. We work closely with organizations in the community, law schools, bar associations and minority organizations to further our shared goals, and we sponsor numerous groups, including:

• Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
  
• Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom
  
• Catalyst
  
• Equal Rights Advocates
  
• Hispanic National Bar Association
  
• Just One Break, Inc. (JOB)
  
• Lavender Law
  
• Minority Corporate Counsel Association
  
• National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
  
• The National Association of Women Lawyers

We also closely align our diversity initiatives with our recruiting efforts. The firmwide Recruiting Committee is supported by LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender/transsexual) and Minority Attorney subcommittees, which actively sponsor job fairs and support local and national organizations.

Career Building
The foundation of a meaningful diversity program is good communication—with one another and with our clients. We facilitate firmwide retreats, discussion groups, book clubs and other career building activities for minority, women and LGBT attorneys. Our firm also partners with clients who share our commitment to recruiting, retention and development of a diverse workforce.

Supportive Benefit Policies
Work/life balance is part of the dialogue when the focus is on retention and promotion of women, yet this balance is important to all of us. Pillsbury was one of the first firms to adopt a part-time policy for attorneys and to extend benefits to domestic partners. Today, we offer domestic partners the same benefits that we offer to spouses of attorneys and staff. In addition, attorneys who adopt or have children through surrogacy are eligible for infant-care and family-related leave.

Minority Attorneys in the Firm
Lawyers of color hold key positions in the firm. A number of firm committees have been chaired by minority partners, including the firm's Recruitment Committee and our Attorney Development Committee, which recommends admission of partners. A minority partner also serves as managing partner of our New York office, Pillsbury's principal office and one of the three largest in the firm. In addition, minority partners lead several practice teams. MultiCultural Law magazine rated us as one of its Top Law Firms for Diversity in 2008.

Women in the Firm
Pillsbury has been on Working Mother magazine's list of 100 Best Companies every year since 2006, and in 2008 we were the only law firm to make the top 10. Women have served in leadership positions on our managing board, and serve as practice section leaders and office managing partners. Key committees are chaired by women, including the Attorney Development Committee. The Vault career guide ranked Pillsbury among the top 20 U.S. law firms for women in recent years.

Gay and Lesbian Attorneys in the Firm
Pillsbury prides itself on promoting an inclusive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) attorneys and staff, and has received a 100 percent score on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for four years running. Openly gay and lesbian attorneys hold important management positions throughout the firm and serve as leaders of key firm committees.

Promoting Diversity in the Profession
Pillsbury lawyers are active leaders in efforts to promote diversity in the profession. Members of our firm have led the California Minority Counsel Program, the Asian Pacific Bar of California, the "No Glass Ceiling" task force of the Bar Association of San Francisco, and the Committee on Women and the Law for the New York City Bar Association.

The Future
Diversity and inclusion have always been hallmarks of our firm. We are committed to continuing and expanding our efforts to promote diversity in the profession, including:

• Actively recruiting and hiring first-year summer associates from diverse backgrounds.
  
  
• Creating opportunities for the general counsel of our key clients to meet all of the attorneys who work on client matters.
  
  
• Hosting more gatherings for our affinity group members, and holding roundtables with clients and others who seek to promote diversity in the profession.

We will constantly renew our commitment because diversity of race, gender, culture and thought makes Pillsbury a stronger firm and helps us better serve our clients in a global economy.