Firm Receives A+ on Diversity Progress Report

AUSTIN, Texas – Yesterday, the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin and the Austin Black Lawyers Association issued their annual report card grading Austin's largest law firms on diversity statistics. Andrews Kurth is the only law firm to receive an A+ on the report card for each of the past four years. “Andrews Kurth has a commitment to diversity at the partner, associate and staff level. Our four consecutive A+ ratings underscore our firm's long-standing commitment to identifying, recruiting, training and retaining a diverse pool of lawyers,” says Lino Mendiola, hiring partner for the Austin office. “It is evident that Fortune 500 clients are becoming more interested in diversity and requesting that their outside counsel reflect the communities in which they operate.”

Brian Jammer, President of the Austin Black Lawyers Association, mentioned that major companies like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Sara Lee Corp. recently mandated that their outside counsel have at least one person of color and one woman among the top five account relationship attorneys.

For the sixth straight year, the 25 largest firms in Austin were asked to participate in the HBAA and ABLA diversity report card survey. Firms were graded A-F based on the number of minority attorneys, and then received plus or minuses if they showed specific dedication, or lack thereof, to recruiting minority attorneys.

Rex VanMiddlesworth, managing partner of Andrews Kurth's Austin office, says, “Promoting diversity is a firmwide initiative. It is not just about hiring qualified minority lawyers. The key is in training, mentoring and providing opportunities for young lawyers, and in creating an environment that values diversity.”

For more than a century, Andrews Kurth LLP has built its practice on the belief that “straight talk is good business.” Real answers, clear vision and mutual respect define the firm's relationships with clients, colleagues, communities and employees. With more than 400 lawyers and offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, The Woodlands, and Washington, DC, Andrews Kurth represents a wide array of clients in all areas of business law.