Staffing the firm with a diverse talent pool provides clients with a more complete, and therefore more creative, legal team.
One of Hill Ward Henderson’s Guiding Principles reads: We embrace, support and avidly seek diversity and inclusion in our workplace, and we disavow racism and discrimination in all forms. The firm has made diversity and inclusion a focus in its strategic planning, recognizing that intention must be accompanied by action in order to yield results. We believe that a truly diverse and inclusive firm provides greater value to our clients, our employees and our community.
Much of Hill Ward Henderson’s important work in this area is being supported by its Diversity & Inclusion Committee (“D & I Committee”), led by the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Shareholder, Cory Person. Mr. Person is a two-term past president of the George Edgecomb Bar Association and former member of the Florida Bar’s Standing Committee for Diversity and Inclusion. He is committed to seeing greater diversity and inclusion in all sectors of the legal profession. He notes, “The firm works very hard to establish an environment where different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives are appreciated and embraced as a means to foster progress and innovation both for our firm and for our clients. The tie that binds us is not sameness, but instead a profound respect for one another because of our differences and how those differences make us a better firm.”
In addition to efforts driven by our D & I Committee, a vital source of support for women lawyers is our Women’s Leadership Group (“WLG”). The WLG provides female lawyers with the time and resources to meet and network with each other about the unique opportunities and challenges facing them as women in the legal profession.
Our attorneys are themselves outspoken advocates for diversity and inclusion in our profession and in our community. They are participants and leaders in a variety of organizations that support women and minorities. While not an exclusive list of all attorney involvement in this arena, the following are just a few of the organizations in which our lawyers are actively involved: Disabled American Veterans, Florida Association of Women Lawyers, George Edgecomb Bar Association, Indo-US Chamber of Commerce, South Asian Bar Association, Tampa Hispanic Bar Association, and the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce Minority Business Accelerator. The firm encourages this type of involvement, and supports our attorneys’ efforts with both in-kind and financial assistance.