Goldberg Segalla LLP Newsletter DIVERSITY





GS DIVERSITY TASK FORCE

Joseph M. Hanna,
Chair
jhanna@goldbergsegalla.com

Christopher J. Belter
cbelter@goldbergsegalla.com

Soo-young Chang
schang@goldbergsegalla.com

Jennaydra D. Clunis
jclunis@goldbergsegalla.com

Richard J. Cohen,
Managing Partner
rcohen@goldbergsegalla.com

Latha Raghavan
lraghavan@goldbergsegalla.com

Mary Q. Wydysh
mwydysh@goldbergsegalla.com

 Goldberg Segalla knows that diversity is a requirement for business success. Over the past few years our goal has been to recruit, retain and promote attorneys who reflect the diversity of our society. Our mission is to create a diverse work environment in order to enhance our ability to represent our clients successfully.

To achieve this objective we have formed relationships with a variety of law schools and associations focused on developing minority and women lawyers. Our active leadership in these groups places us in the unique position of being able to work to change laws adverse to our clients' interests. We join in the diversity efforts of the American Bar Association, Columbian Lawyers Association, Defense Research Institute, Federal Bar Association, League of First Nations, Minority Bar Association of Western New York, National Bar Association, Native American Rights Fund, National Congress of American Indians, New York Bar Association, Seneca Free Trade Association, University at Buffalo School of Law and the Women's Bar Association.

Our outreach efforts led to the creation of a comprehensive database of over 500 minority law organizations throughout the United States. Contact between these organizations takes place in anticipation of bringing CLE and legal programs together. The group of minority bar associations ranges from national organizations such as the National Association of Women Lawyers, the National Association of Muslim Lawyers, and the Hispanic National Bar Association, to local organizations such as the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, South Asian Bar Association of Philadelphia and the Vietnamese American Bar Association of North Carolina.

The firm sponsors the annual Success in the City event. Chaired by Joseph M. Hanna, a Goldberg Segalla partner, the purpose of Success in the City is to bring together business, corporate and community leaders, corporate counsel, local politicians and members of the minority bar associations in Western New York to celebrate the successes and critical importance of diversity. Success in the City has become a model for diversity and opportunity in legal and business communities nationally.

The Buffalo Niagara Human Resource Association (BNHRA) recently honored Goldberg Segalla with the 2009 Diversity Excellence Award for the firm's many efforts of leading diversity on a national level in the legal community.


FIRM CULTURE

Goldberg Segalla's culture is one that values team spiritedness, collegiality, and interpersonal harmony within our working community. We are a firm that believes in diversity in the workplace and we offer a professional and positive work environment to each and every member of our team.

Goldberg Segalla is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity for all individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or any other classification, as protected by federal, state or local law. Equal employment opportunity extends to all personnel practices.

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FIRM DEMOGRAPHICS

The attorneys of Goldberg Segalla are a talented and diverse group.

As of July 1, 2010, thirty percent of our partnership includes minority and women attorneys and 26 percent of our attorneys are women.

Women - 26%
Ethnic Minority - 11%
  African American - 2%
  Asian - 5%
  Hispanic - 3%
  Other - 1%

Diversity can be further expressed within our firm through the many languages and dialects some of our attorneys are fluent in, such as Arabic, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Romanian, Spanish, Tamil and Thai.

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DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP

Goldberg Segalla has a Diversity Task Force comprised of partners and associates from throughout the firm's various offices. These individuals share a strong commitment to increasing the firm's diversity and use their unique experiences and backgrounds to support and advance that goal.

The Diversity Task Force develops programs and events and sets strategy to recruit and retain people from diverse backgrounds. The Task Force promotes their commitment to diversity both inside and outside the firm including efforts to reach out to the legal community to increase diversity in the legal profession.

The Diversity Task Force meets regularly to develop both long-term goals and diversity initiatives.


DIVERSITY TASK FORCE MEMBERS:

Joseph M. Hanna,
Chair


Christopher J. Belter


Soo-young Chang


Jennaydra D. Clunis
Richard J. Cohen,
Managing Partner


Latha Raghavan


Mary Q. Wydysh


Goldberg Segalla's Diversity Task force is led by Joseph M. Hanna, a partner in the firm's Buffalo, New York office. Mr. Hanna's dedication to diversity is demonstrated in his leadership in various organizations and outreach programs.  Mr. Hanna organizes and chairs Success in the City, a diversity networking event geared toward bringing together business, corporate and community leaders, corporate counsel, local politicians and members of minority bar associations to celebrate the successes and critical importance of diversity in Buffalo's developing community.  This event serves as a model for other cities aiming to promote inclusive and diverse professional communities.  In 2009, Success in the City had over 300 attendees, doubling its attendance from its inaugural event in 2008. 

Joe was awarded the Minority Bar Association of Western New York, Inc.'s 2009 MBAWNY Community Service Award for his dedication and commitment to diversity in the Western New York community. 

In 2010, Mr. Hanna was awarded the New York State Bar Association Outstanding Young Lawyer Award for his efforts to enhance diversity in the legal profession and effective leadership in community activities.  The award is presented annually to a young lawyer who has rendered outstanding service to both the community and the legal profession and has a distinguished record of commitment to the finest traditions of the New York State Bar through public service and professional activities.  

In 2007 Mr. Hanna was named DRI's Young Lawyer of the Year for Outstanding Service for his work on the organization's Young Lawyer Committee.  Mr. Hanna was awarded this distinction and honor for his commitment to diversity in organizing various minority bar programs throughout the country, authoring articles on minority attorney retention and spearheading the creation of a comprehensive database of over 500 minority law organizations which have been established throughout the United States.

As a member of the Defense Research Institute (DRI), he serves as the Chair of the Diversity Outreach Committee, the Second Vice Chair to DRI's Young Lawyers Seminar Planning Committee, the Construction Committee Diversity Chair. He also serves on the ABA's Judicial Internship Opportunity Program's Screening Committee. Mr. Hanna was appointed to serve as the Vice Chair of the ABA's Young Lawyers Division Minorities in the Profession Committee, and is the national Vice Chair of the ABA's Arts, Entertainment and Sports Law section.

Mr. Hanna is a frequent author and speaker on diversity. His articles can be found in the following links:

 


If you have questions regarding any of the Firm's diversity initiatives, please contact the chair of our Diversity Task Force, Joseph M. Hanna at jhanna@goldbergsegalla.com.

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