On October 16, 2008, the Kean Miller Diversity Council will present the second-annual Louisiana Diversity Forum at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center. The Louisiana Diversity Forum provides a platform for distinguished guest speakers to provide their own insights and ideas on diversity-related topics. The 2007 Louisiana Diversity Forum attracted over 100 attendees from business, industry, educational, and governmental sectors. Speakers included diversity professionals and presenters from Shell Oil Company, The Shaw Group, Chevron Corporation, the EEOC, Louisiana State University, Southern Unviersity, and the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.
The 2008 Louisiana Diversity Forum will feature speakers from academic institutions, industry, education, business, the arts, and government, including:
- Dr. Charles Tolbert, Baylor University and Strategic Demographics
- Alison Anthony, Chief Diversity Officer, The Williams Companies
- Dr. Charlotte Placide, Superintendent, East Baton Rouge Parish School System
- Jacqui Vines, CEO, Cox Communications
- Charles Patin, Partner, Kean Miller, School Desegregation Expert
- R. Fenimore Fisher, Senior Director of Employment Analysis, Wal-Mart Stores
- Kristin Sosnowsky, Swine Palace Productions
- Melvin J. “Kip” Holden, Mayor-President, Parish of East Baton Rouge
- Dr. John S. Butler, University of Texas IC2 Institute and the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship
- Mr. James L. “Jim” Sacher, Regional Attorney, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Dr. Christel C. Slaughter, Partner, SSA Consultants
The 2008 Forum will explore ideas and actions that can help put diversity and inclusion to work for businesses, educational institutions, and governmental and administrative bodies. For more information, or to sign up for our 2008 Louisiana Diversity Forum mailing list, please contact Steven R. Boutwell at 225.389.3736 or steve.boutwell@keanmiller.com
Diversity at Kean Miller:
Kean Miller, a leader among law firms in creating opportunities for women and minority attorneys, is one of three 2008 recipients of the Chevron Corporation Law Function’s Law Firm Diversity Recognition Award. The award program, started in 2005, recognizes Chevron’s law firm partners who have distinguished themselves by demonstrating their commitment to diversity in the legal profession and by fostering an inclusive work environment. From its inception, Kean Miller has recognized the value of diverse ethnic, cultural and racial backgrounds to the balance and success of the firm. Kean Miller is committed to promoting a culture of inclusion, not only within the firm, but in the communities where its attorneys and staff live and work. The best evidence of this commitment is found in the firm’s statistics: Kean Miller has one of the highest percentages of women lawyers and women partners of any major law firm in the United States; Kean Miller ranks among Louisiana firms having the highest percentages of minority attorneys; currently the firm has 38% women lawyers and 11% minority lawyers; among partners, 27% are women and 8% are minorities; currently 20% of the firm’s administrative management, 10% of legal assistants, and 13% of firm staff and support services are minorities.
About Kean Miller:
With 125 lawyers, Kean Miller serves the legal needs of Louisiana businesses and Fortune 500 companies with significant operations in the Bayou state. The firm maintains offices in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lake Charles and Plaquemine, Louisiana. The firm serves clients in numerous industries including energy, petrochemical and chemical, technology and telecommunications, transportation, media and advertising, financial services, insurance, gaming, government and education, health care, manufacturing, real estate, retail, construction, and leasing.
The firm combines the talent and expertise of its lawyers into multidisciplinary client and industry teams. These teams are comprised of seasoned legal professionals from a variety of disciplines who are equipped to identify legal and business needs and to develop superior service strategies that provide unmatched support to the client.