Fross Zelnick’s longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion is reflected in our partnership, our lawyers, our staff, and the organizations we support. We have championed a diverse workforce for decades. Beyond the importance of meeting our social responsibilities, diversity and openness are part of who we are, and have always been an important part of the firm culture. We believe that people from different backgrounds and experiences enrich us all and provide perspectives that enable us to better serve our clients.
Evidence of our commitment to diversity lies in the fact that our firm has already achieved the goals of certain key diversity benchmarks in the legal field. Under Mansfield Rule 2.0, law firms certify that they have considered at least 30% women, LGBTQ+, and minority lawyers for significant leadership roles. We have not only “considered” such individuals, but have achieved and surpassed the 30% benchmark as follows:
- 73% of our equity partners fall into at least one diversity category
- 55% of our equity partners are women
- 64% of our counsel and associate attorneys are women
We have African American, Asian, Hispanic, LGBTQ+, and women partners serving on all of our firm’s key committees. For example, on our four-person Executive Committee, one is African American, one is Hispanic and LGBTQ+, and one is a woman. On our Compensation Committee, which is comprised of seven people, one is an African American woman, one is Hispanic and LGBTQ+, and four are women. Of the other firm-wide committees, 12 out of 16 committee chairs fall into one of the diverse categories. In addition, the firm’s General Counsel is Hispanic. We also enjoy significant diversity among our staff, which represents many cultural backgrounds and countries of origin.
Law360’s 2021 diversity rankings names Fross Zelnick among the Top 10 U.S. law firms with 100 or fewer attorneys for diversity in its equity partnership.
Law360’s August 2023 Glass Ceiling report recognized Fross Zelnick for the seventh year in a row. Specifically, the firm was ranked #11 on the list of most women in equity partnerships and #6 overall, for the percentage of female attorneys and equity partners among law firms with fewer than 100 lawyers.
As a testament to our commitment to having a diverse and equitable workplace, our firm established the Fross Zelnick Diversity Committee, which includes partners, an associate, and employees from different departments within the firm. While we are proud of our diversity and inclusion at the firm, we know that we cannot rest on our laurels. The work of this inclusive committee ensures that we find ways to further enhance our environment and enable us to better serve our clients around the world.
Examples of diversity-related activities in which we participate or sponsor include: The Asian American Bar Association of New York, The Association of Black Women Attorneys, Sistah Girls, GLINTA (a group formed to recognize and support LGBTQ+ members of the International Trademark Association), the Interamerican Association of Intellectual Property, and the Coalition for the Homeless First Step job training program, which provides assistance to homeless and low-income women seeking living-wage jobs, and from which we have hired employees.