NEWSLETTER

We are very excited about FordHarrison's 2014-2015 Journey to Cross Cultural Competence.  As lawyers we are bound to provide competent legal services to our clients, which depends in large part on understanding our clients and their needs.  Being culturally competent will allow us to do that – understanding and appreciating the cultural differences between groups will enable us to better serve our clients' needs.  Dubbed FH-C3, we developed our program to build on our robust diversity platform, built over many years through the hard work and dedication of our lawyers and staff.  Focusing on cultural competence is a natural fit for our firm as we continue to expand our focus to meet our clients' global needs and demands.  At our 2013 annual partner meeting, we outlined our FH-C3 plan and tapped into the experience and expertise of our clients, fellow Ius Laboris partners, and FH Affiliate firms.  Our initial panel consisted of Kathy Cheung, Marriott International - VP and Sr. Employment Counsel; Brenda Pence, Siemens - Sr. Employment Counsel; Jorge De-Presno, Partner - Basham, Ringe and Correra (Mexico City); Isa Soter, Partner - Vierano Advogados (Brazil); and Sarah Monty-Arnoni, Partner - Monty & Rameriz (Texas).  The panel members shared their own experiences practicing throughout the world in various cultures and discussed the perceptions of Americans by those outside the U.S., the impact of cultural competence on business development, how understanding cultural differences impacts cross-border compliance, and the cultural differences in motivational orientation and attitudes towards time.  This panel helped us begin our journey towards Cross Cultural Competence.  Over the next two years, FordHarrison will endeavor to become more culturally competent as a collective entity, which will help us avoid cultural blinders and recover from cultural blunders when they occur.  I hope you will join us on this pilgrimage! 

Corporate Counsel Women of Color National Conference
September 25-27, 2013 | Washington, DC
FordHarrison was proud to sponsor the Corporate Counsel Women of Color's National Conference. Dawn Siler-Nixon of the Tampa office, Vista Lyons of the Dallas office, and Suheily Natal of the Chicago office attended the event.

Boys and Girls Clubs of America Youth of the Year
June 17, 2013 | Atlanta, GA
FordHarrison partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to honor the finalists for the Southeast Region Youth of the Year award. This year's event took place at our Atlanta office and included a reception and dinner followed by a panel discussion with professionals from multiple disciplines

AJC Event
November 7, 2013 | Atlanta, GA
FordHarrison supported the American Jewish Committee's 2013 National Human Relations Awards Dinner to honor Richard Anderson of Delta Air Lines, Inc., which is a FordHarrison client.

Women in Leadership Symposium
October 3, 2013 | Tampa, FL
FordHarrison sponsored the Tampa Bay Women in Leadership Symposium presented by the Florida Diversity Council. Tracey Jaensch, managing partner of the Tampa office and Florida Regional Managing Partner, attended the event, and is a Chair for the the Florida Diversity Council. The symposium featured a dynamic group of successful female leaders who shared their experiences and views about advancing in today's competitive workforce.

 

Profiles in Diversity JournalIn the September/October issue of the Profiles in Diversity Journal Vista Lyons, a partner in FordHarrison's Dallas office, was named one of 2014's "Women Worth Watching" on the magazine's 12th annual list. http://issuu.com/diversityjournal/docs/pdj_sepoct_2013?e=4480583/4709793

Elizabeth Rodriguez of the Miami office was interviewed by Profiles in Diversity Journal for Hispanic Heritage month. http://issuu.com/diversityjournal/docs/pdj_sepoct_2013?e=4480583/4709793

FordHarrison was awarded an Honorable Mention in Profiles in Diversity Journal's 2013 "Innovation in Diversity." This year's competition honored corporations, organizations, and institutions that have developed innovative solutions in the area of workplace diversity and inclusion.

Women in Law Empowerment Forum
In 2013 the Women in Law Empowerment Forum awarded the firm its Gold Standard Certification for its Commitment to the Advancement of Women.  The rigorous certification process that led to this award examined firms around the country, looking beyond merely the percentage of women that the eligible law firms employed and focusing on whether women were represented in positions of power and among top earning attorneys.  FordHarrison was one of only six firms to meet all six of the leadership role scoring criteria.

Lawyer of Color's Hot List
Aisha Sanchez, a senior associate in our Tampa office, was recognized in Lawyer of Color's inaugural Hot List Issue, which recognizes early- to mid-career attorneys who are excelling in the legal profession. Honoroees were chosen to represent six regions throughout the Continental United States and receptions were held in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. in their honor.

Girl Scouts of Citrus' "Women of Distinction"
Kay Wolf, a partner in our Orlando office, received an Honorable Mention at the Girl Scouts of Citrus' 2013 "Women of Distinction" awards ceremony. Recognized as one of Central Florida's most prestigious awards for women, the Girl Scouts of Citrus Women of Distinction Awards honors individuals whose outstanding achievements contribute to the well-being and future of the community. Kay was nominated due in large part to her contribution to the FordHarrison Cambodia School.

For more information on our Diversity Awards, visit http://www.fordharrison.com/diversity.aspx

In August, FordHarrison LLP directed a $27,000 cy pres award to the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice (LACLJ). LACLJ is a non-profit organization that provides free legal representation, education and advocacy to low-income families in Los Angeles County. The agency serves 1,000 families a year in the areas of domestic violence, family and immigration law, and housing education.

Cy pres awards are residual settlement funds in class action suits that may be donated to non-profit organizations. Michelle Abidoye, attorney at FordHarrison, recommended LACLJ as the cy pres recipient in the settlement of a wage and hour case. These funds will immediately be used to further the immigration work for low income families to enable families staying together and supporting economic stability.

The 39th Annual California Women Lawyer ("CWL") Dinner in San Jose at the Fairmont Hotel was an evening to remember.   With approximately 600 attendees, numerous sponsors, and a sold-out Silent Auction, it was one of the most successful events in CWL history!

Associate Justice Ming Chin from the Supreme Court of California swore in the 2013-2014 Board of Governors.  Los Angeles based FordHarrison attorney, Michelle Abidoye, will continue to serve on the Board of Governors and was appointed to serve on the Executive Board for the 2013-2014 term.

CWL was thrilled to welcome Keynote Speaker, Therese M. Stewart, Chief Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, who is a nationally recognized leader in the fight for marriage equality. She represented San Francisco in its groundbreaking efforts to obtain marriage equality for same-sex couples in California.  Ms. Stewart gave an engaging and interesting discussion on the intersection and overlap between unconscious gender bias and LGBT issues in law and society. 

CWL recognized two outstanding women with awards for their dedication to the advancement of women: Patricia K. Gillette, Employment Partner at Orrick, and Mary-Christine ("M.C.") Sungalia, Appellate Partner at Snell & Wilmer.  Ms. Gillette received the Fay Stender Award for her commitment to the retention of women in the legal industry.  She is the founder of the Opt-In Project, a nationwide initiative focused on changing the structure of law firms to increase the retention and advancement of women in the workplace.  Ms. Sungalia received the Judith Soley Lawyer as Citizen Award in recognition for her significant public service contributions.  She has helped secure important rights for women and girls internationally, nationally, and throughout California by serving as pro bono counsel of record or consulting on more than 17 women's and civil rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Court on Human Rights, and the California Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal.

CWL also honored the following 16 exemplary female attorneys and Judges with an award for their significant achievements in 2012 and 2013: Honorable Patricia Bamattre-Manoukian, Honorable Nicole Bershon, Andrea Carlisle, Aileen Casanave, Patricia Egan Daehnke, Honorable Teresa Estrada-Mullaney, Elizabeth Frankin, Ruth Kahn, Honorable Joan Dempsey Klein, Jackie Lacey, Claire Lipschultz, Lilys D. McCoy, Honorable Beverly Reid O'Connell, Honorable Lori E. Pegg, Honorable Paula S. Rosenstein, and Wendy Tucker.

Religious expression is increasing significantly in the workplace, all while employers are trying to maintain an emphasis on diversity in the workplace. The focus has veered from recruiting efforts designed to create equal opportunity to endeavors focused on making sure the views and practices of employees are supported and respected.

Join FordHarrison attorneys Andy Tanick and Brian Cunningham on January 22, 2014 at 1:00 PM Eastern as they discuss how to balance the demands associated with religious accommodation and discrimination in the workplace. You will develop useful knowledge on how to enforce diversity programs and religious policies that comply with federal and state anti-discrimination laws. You will learn how to balance employees' right to self-expression while also maintaining control at work, as well as handling unwanted proselytizing while avoiding claims of religious discrimination.

This program is pre-approved by HRCI for 1 hour of PHR, GPHR, and SPHR recertification credit.

This webinar has already occured. To view a recording of this webinar click here.

In the wake of high-profile transgender discrimination claim decisions, employers would be wise to prepare for a possible increase in gender-identity discrimination claims and review their policies and practices to help reduce the risks of such claims.  Some of the tasks employers may need to undertake to avoid liability in this area include revising existing policies and procedures, auditing internal forms, inspecting insurance policies and training employees on sensitivity to gender identity expression in the workplace.  Additionally, employers should consider their policies related to restroom and locker room use as well as employee dress codes. 
 
On June 25, 2013, Aisha Sanchez, an attorney in our Tampa office, presented Gender Identity & Discrimination in the Workplace, a webinar covering recent developments in gender identity discrimination and measures employers can take to limit their liability to claims of this nature.  The discussion also covered proper terminology, management and employee tools to create a culture of inclusion, and gender identity resources available to both employers and employees.
 
To view a recording of this webinar, please click here, and to ensure that you are on FordHarrison's mailing list for future events visit the subscription page of our website at www.fordharrison.com/subscribe.

In January 2013, FordHarrison officially opened the doors of The FordHarrison School, located in the Prey Veng Province of southeastern Cambodia. The firm's lawyers and staff raised more than $85,000 to build and equip the school.

This year, the firm provided funds for the children to have their very first lessons in drawing and painting. To encourage their creativity, we held an art contest and planned for the winning masterpiece to be featured in our 2013 holiday card.

We found it impossible to choose just one winner from the beautiful works of art created by our students. Instead, our card featured four beautiful pieces of art.

The students of the FordHarrison School continue to amaze us, and make us realize how fortunate we are.

The interactive holiday card has received an amazing response from clients and contacts, who were delighted to see the masterpieces created by the students.

To view this year's holiday card, please visit:
http://www.fordharrison.com/files/2013-holiday-card/eCard2013_v3.html.

Each year, the Atlanta Office raises money for United Way, and this year the planning committee got extra creative with ways for the office to come together and raise money for a great cause!

The campaign started off with a kickoff breakfast, where Flip Spiceland of the United Way spoke to the office. Scott Wagner and Gordon Berger, along with Vicki Lane, Shannon O'Brien, Tamia Flemister, and Savannah Harmon chaired the fundraiser. They announced at the breakfast the various ways the office could join the fun and get involved. This year's fundraising opportunities included a Wii bowling tournament, a Halloween Attorney Costume Lottery, and Jeans Friday.

Four teams battled in a Wii bowling tournament for a crowd of excited fans (coworkers) who paid to see the event. After sweat and heartbreak, team "The Dudes," comprised of Shannon O'Brien, Scott Wagner, and Sarah Adams, took home the victory!

The Halloween Attorney Costume Lottery was a new money-raising event this year. Attorneys had the opportunity to put a fellow attorney's name into a "hat," for the low price of $5.00 an entry. Whichever lucky lawyer had their name purchased the most times had to wear a costume of his legal assistant's choosing. Cullen Stafford made a lovely cavewoman, as chosen by his legal assistant Lois Bebergal.

Jeans Friday gave the attorney and staff in the Atlanta office the opportunity to wear jeans each Friday until the year's end! It was not only the most popular fundraiser, but the biggest money maker as well.

While the great team in Atlanta always has fun with the United Way Campaign, what really matters is the money raised. This year, The Atlanta office raised $14,649.00 for their annual United Way Campaign.

"The importance of the campaign, the reason we are so excited to do it each year, is to help others in need and to enrich their lives by providing education and opportunity," said Berger.