Diversity at Morgan & Finnegan

We believe that encouraging diversity increases our abilities, creativity and effectiveness, while deepening our richness as an intellectual resource for our clients. Our clients come from different parts of the United States, as well as many other countries, reflecting many different backgrounds. Fully half our work has an international component. We believe that the more our firm reflects the overall business world we serve, the better we can understand our clients’ needs and concerns, and the more valuable we become as a professional resource to help them achieve their goals.

Many of our clients expect their outside service providers, including their intellectual property counsel, to actively promote diversity within their ranks. At the same time, we recognize that the record of diversity within the sphere of intellectual property law firms leaves ample room for improvement. Our commitment to our clients is not only that we will take part in the effort to promote diversity in the IP bar, but that we will take a leadership position in changing the landscape of diversity within the IP bar. We are actively taking steps that are designed not only to improve diversity in the profession today, but to foster and encourage interest in the IP profession by a more diverse group of candidates in the future.

We consider it both a moral obligation and a practical necessity to recruit, retain and promote a diverse array of candidates, and ensure that the pool of diverse candidates from which we recruit and hire grows steadily from year to year.

Morgan & Finnegan is actively working to attract, hire, retain and promote talented individuals in an inclusive manner, regardless of race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, color, disability, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital or parental status.

Our efforts include a formation of a dedicated Diversity Committee, whose membership includes individuals from the ranks of the firm’s management, partners, associates, and scientific and technical advisors. This varied representation ensures that a broad array of backgrounds, viewpoints and ideas will be presented and considered. The Committee is charged with implementing, overseeing and expanding the firm’s diversity-related efforts. Its work focuses on the recruitment, retention and career advancement of minority candidates. The Committee is responsible for ensuring that all individuals have access to equal training and instruction, the opportunity to do significant work for important clients, the opportunity to be mentored and, in time, to themselves mentor, and to fully participate in all activities of the firm.

Our goal, as active members of the legal community, is to make the future of intellectual property law richer by introducing and attracting a broader and more diverse segment of society to this portion of the legal profession and our firm.

Our actions demonstrate our commitment. For example:

• Morgan & Finnegan is a signatory to the Statement of Diversity Principles articulated by the Association of the Bar of the City of New York;
• Morgan & Finnegan is a supporter of the AIPLA’s Education Foundation and a Gold Level Sponsor of the Foundation’s efforts to increase diversity in the IP profession;
• Morgan & Finnegan actively recruits from law schools having a diverse student body;
• Morgan & Finnegan participates in minority job fairs, including the DuPont Minority Job Fair, which we have participated in since its inception in 1994;
• Morgan & Finnegan maintains a scientific and technical advisor program that provides an avenue into the profession for interested individuals having technical degrees;
• Morgan & Finnegan is flexible with respect to employees who may have atypical needs in balancing school or family needs with work demands;
• Morgan & Finnegan provides attorneys at all levels the opportunity to do pro bono work. and fully and favorably credits that work in advancement considerations;
• Morgan & Finnegan maintains an “open door” culture to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to comfortably interact with one another on an informal basis, irrespective of seniority or job title.

Diversity Principles

Association of the Bar of the City of New York

Morgan & Finnegan is a signatory to the Statement of Diversity Principles articulated by the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. In accordance with the Statement, we support and actively seek to implement hiring and retention initiatives designed to reflect the diversity of schools from which we recruit; the hiring and promotion of qualified senior lawyers; ongoing diversity awareness and training programs; and the maintenance of diversity-enhancing activities.

A full statement of these Diversity Principles and best practices to which we have committed is available at: http://www.abcny.org/pdf/diversity_principles.pdf

Minority Scholarship Sponsorship

One of our major initiatives is significant financial support of the American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation’s scholarship program for minority students. The Foundation promotes diversity in the intellectual property bar by providing educational, mentoring and employment opportunities for minority students, recognizing accomplishments in the study and practice of IP law, and undertaking charitable and educational projects related to IP law.

Morgan & Finnegan is a Gold Level Sponsor of the Foundation’s efforts to increase diversity in the practice of intellectual property law. Morgan & Finnegan also was instrumental in initiating the New York Intellectual Property Law Association’s efforts in support of the Foundation. We strongly believe that by promoting this effort, we can be a leader in helping achieve greater minority representation in the IP field.

Recruiting Initiatives

Morgan & Finnegan is a member of the National Association for Law Placement, and puts into practice many suggestions given by NALP for improving diversity through recruitment. Each year, we review minority resume books and contact qualified students to encourage them to apply. We continually seek forums that can provide us with the opportunity to meet and recruit a more diverse field of candidates. We make a special effort to recruit at law schools that traditionally have a large number of minority students, such as Howard University. The recruitment of minority candidates from these schools adds to the pool of minority candidates at each of the other law schools from which we recruit.

Some recruiting initiatives reflect our long-term relationships with our clients. Morgan & Finnegan is proud to be one of DuPont’s selected Primary Law Firms and we have actively participated in the DuPont Minority Job Fair since its inception in 1994. The event, now a fixture in multiple cities, brings together legal employers and minority job seekers. The DuPont Job Fair has no application or registration fees, and coordinators work closely with law schools across the country to identify and promote candidates and facilitate their participation.

Morgan & Finnegan sets forth a policy of non-discrimination each year at more than 40 law schools where we recruit students through campus interviews, job fairs or resume collection. We also retain several search firms to assist in the lateral search process. We require that all contracted search firms refer qualified minority and female candidates to our practice.

We are serious about promoting diversity and prohibiting discrimination with regard to our recruiting and employment practices conducted both by and on behalf of the firm. Our Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity statement is set forth and explained during orientation of each new associate. Attorneys who take part in our recruiting and interviewing process are aware of and required to observe these principles. These principles also are reflected in the mentoring and promotion of associates without regard to race, religion, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Education and Training Programs

Another program that encourages diversity within our ranks is our scientific and technical advisor program, comprising individuals holding bachelors’ or advanced degrees in engineering or science. Morgan & Finnegan encourages our advisors to pursue law degrees, and provides mentoring and advice concerning the admission process. The program also provides law school tuition and a flexible working arrangement that allows individuals to balance work and school.

Morgan & Finnegan invests heavily in the professional growth of our attorneys. This focus is a hallmark of our firm. As part of our ongoing training program, we encourage attorneys to participate in diversity training programs offered by the many professional associations in which we hold leadership positions.

Morgan & Finnegan offers ongoing educational opportunities through training and seminars, including Continuing Legal Education courses, mentoring, skill monitoring and performance reviews. Our goal is to offer every member of the Morgan & Finnegan community the chance to develop skills and become an increasingly valuable member of the firm.

Diversity Enhancing Programs

Our goal as a firm is to offer and maintain diversity-enhancing programs that are consistent with our culture of inclusion. We maintain an open door policy, and have a history of thoughtful responses to the special concerns of associates and partners, advisors and staff. This open culture contributed strongly to our summer program being among the top New York IP firms and among the top nationally ranked summer programs for three years in a row. Our diversity initiatives build upon the strengths of a firm culture that is welcoming, inclusive and flexible.

Our governing committees include associates of varied backgrounds in order ensure that a broad spectrum of ideas and personal experiences become an integral part of their efforts. We encourage all members of the firm to contribute to our efforts, and give credit for approved diversity activities such as recruiting, participating in activities of professional organizations and affinity groups and working on pro bono matters.

Pro Bono Activities

Morgan & Finnegan is committed to pro bono activities. Our attorneys regularly meet and exceed professional guidelines for pro bono hours. The program is managed by partner Christopher Hu.

Our matters have focused on areas such as federal civil rights litigation, political asylum cases and actions under the Americans with Disabilities Act. We have handled a matter in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on behalf of a bus driver challenging his employer's medical policies under the Americans with Disabilities Act. We have won political asylum cases on behalf of refugees from countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq. We are currently involved in an Americans with Disabilities Act case on behalf of a bus driver with multiple sclerosis.

We are an active member of the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and one of our partners is a member of the board. Some of these matters have attracted significant media attention.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P. is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer which does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, disability or veteran's status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations. The firm's policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment. To achieve our goal of equal opportunity, we maintain an affirmative action plan through which we make good faith efforts to recruit, hire and advance in employment qualified minorities, females, disabled individuals and Vietnam-era and special-disabled veterans.