Making a Positive Impact Together
June 01, 2023 - MoFo Diversity

Celebrating Pride Month 2023

2023 Pride Month

MoFo strives to be inclusive to the core and provide a work environment where lawyers can openly be themselves while excelling at their chosen profession. We aim to make our firm a model of diversity that others will follow, and that effort includes striving to be a leader in our LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts.

In 2001, we led that charge by being the first major law firm to elect an openly gay chair. As a firm, we know that MoFo’s LGBTQ+ lawyers—who are out and proud in their professional and personal lives—make valuable contributions to our firm, our profession, and our communities. They are vital members of the firm, which promotes and highly values diversity and equality for everyone. That’s why MoFo has been a standard-bearer for LGBTQ+ equality in the legal profession for more than 30 years and continues to strive to foster an environment of equality and inclusion.

In recognition of Pride Month, we honor our global LGBTQ+ Affinity Network Liaisons (ANLs): Finance senior of counsel and Europe ANL Brian Bates; partner and head of Singapore Litigation and Asia ANL Daniel Levison; Capital Markets and Public Company Advisory & Governance partner and U.S. ANL John Owen; and Commercial Litigation and Trial partner and Asia ANL Chen Zhu.

MoFo Affinity Networks are cross-office groups of attorneys and business professionals who share a particular affinity. The LGBTQ+ Affinity Groups meet on a regular basis, both virtually and in person, to network and build community among members. Within the networks, the partners meet frequently to help further the firm’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and affinity (DEIA) strategy as it relates to talent development, with a particular focus on recruitment, retention, and advancement.

The LGBTQ+ Affinity Network’s strategic priorities related to​ diversity and inclusion (D+I) include attracting the most talented diverse attorneys, developing and engaging our diverse talent, enhancing workplace inclusion, and partnering with our clients where possible to further D+I in the legal industry. The LGBTQ+ Affinity Network aims to further the firm’s commitment to D+I by focusing our efforts on raising awareness about the unique experience of navigating the professional space as an LGBTQ+ attorney/​employee and by actively supporting the recruitment, engagement, retention, development, and advancement of our LGBTQ+ attorneys/employees across the firm.