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Firm Earns High Marks on 2021 Corporate Equality Index

2/4/2021

Lathrop GPM is once again rated highly in the annual Human Rights Campaign Foundation Corporate Equality Index (CEI). In the 2021 report, Lathrop GPM received a score of 95 (out of a possible 100).

“At Lathrop GPM we are committed to diversity and inclusion at every level, and in all aspects of our firm,” said Lathrop GPM Managing Partner Cameron Garrison. “We expect this commitment to be evident not solely in policy handbooks, but also in the professionals who make up our teams and in the way all members of our firm interact with our clients, our communities and one another.”

In 2020, the firm continued to prioritize equity and inclusion efforts. Among other initiatives, last year the firm sponsored many equity and inclusion events, which were held virtually due to the pandemic, for clients and community members to foster growth through education and communication. National speakers led sessions on gender identity, cultural competence and other topics of equity.

“As we seek to improve our firm’s inclusive culture, we continue to pursue new initiatives, such as the recent addition of gender pronouns to firmwide email signatures. We look forward to the positive impacts of our efforts, as well as to achieving a perfect 100 on our future HRC Corporate Equality Index score,” said Vanessa Vaughn West, director of diversity and inclusion at the firm.  

Vaughn West, the Culture, Diversity & Inclusion (CD&I) Committee, and the LGBTQ+ Allies Inclusion Network work collectively and diligently with many others throughout the firm to champion diversity and inclusion efforts.

In addition, the firm is a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, the Center for Legal Inclusiveness and the Mid-America Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, among other diversity and inclusion-focused organizations, and sponsors and participates in numerous diversity and inclusion initiatives across the firm’s markets. More about the firm’s diversity and inclusion initiatives can be found at www.lathropgpm.com/diversity.

The CEI is the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. This year’s index rated 1,142 of the nation’s largest employers in various industries.

The ratings are based on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

  • Non-discrimination policies across business entities;
  • Equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families;
  • Supporting an inclusive culture; and,
  • Corporate social responsibility.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for LGBTQ people in the workplace, communities, and society. The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.