Statewide Survey Ranks Bullivant Among Top 10 Firms for Diversity

Seattle, WA (March 31, 2009) – Bullivant Houser Bailey PC, a leading West Coast business and complex litigation law firm, has been recognized as a Washington State “Top Ten” firm for diversity, as revealed in the recent 2009 Minority Bar Associations of Washington report. The report, considered a “first-of-its-kind” effort by a coalition of minority bar associations, surveyed Washington’s Top 50 law firms to examine what firms were doing to retain, promote and support racial and ethnic minorities, women, sexual orientation minorities and people with disabilities.

In addition to diversity of attorneys and staff, “Top Ten” firms were evaluated on several other factors, including diversity recruitment and retention programs, and support for minority bar associations. Bullivant has continued to make significant strides in both areas, the probable result of a firm-wide “Commitment to Diversity” initiative, which has successfully integrated diversity programs into several arms of the Firm’s corporate structure.

The commitment initiative drove the formation of the Firm’s Diversity Committee, and focuses on diversity as an integral role in the firm’s internal and external activities including professional development, internal education, external outreach, client involvement, and the hiring of an outside consultant to perform annual cultural audits and assist with ongoing evaluations. “Achieving strong diversity numbers is really the result of expanding and building structure around an inherent commitment,” commented Steve Kenyon, Firm CEO. “Diversifying our firm culture is not driven by rankings or financial gain – it is a natural response to our evolving communities and diversifying client base.”

Bullivant also places a strong emphasis on advancing diversification efforts within the local community. The firm sponsors several scholarship programs for minority law students, and is an active participant in minority job fairs, including the Northwest Minority Job Fair in Seattle. While lawyers across the firm are engaged in numerous diverse community organizations, Washington participation includes the African American Chamber of Commerce; Asian Bar of Washington; Korean American Bar Association; National Asian Pacific American Bar Association; Northwest Indian Bar Association; Northwest Women’s Law Center; QLaw: The GLBT Bar Association of Washington; Washington State Bar Diversity Section; and Washington Women Lawyers. In 2008, Multicultural Law magazine named Bullivant a Top 100 law firm for workplace diversity, and one of the “Top 100 Law Firms for Women.”