Fay Sharpe Embraces a Diverse Working Environment
Fay Sharpe is committed to valuing and strengthening diversity throughout the firm. People are our greatest asset and we recognize that the differences among us have attributed to our endurance and success. We embrace the principles of equal employment opportunity, and within that, believe that promoting diversity is an integral component to providing a quality working environment for our attorneys and staff as well as excellent service to our clients.
The following initiatives reflect our commitment through awareness, education and positive recognition of differences:
Recruitment
Fay Sharpe continues to recruit at local colleges, universities and via community based efforts to hire and retain qualified applicants from all backgrounds. We have participated in the Minority Clerkship Program, sponsored by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and participate in diversity conferences and workshops to increase our ability to bring diversity to Intellectual Property Law. Our hiring efforts have yielded talented attorneys and staff, and our numbers reflect success in our recruiting strategy (women/minorities encompass 23% of attorneys, 51% overall).
Promotion & Retention
It is critical to promote and keep capable and motivated attorneys regardless of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or age. Since 2007, our retention rate of women/minority attorneys has been 91% with women accounting for half of our most recently promoted Equity Partners.
Other Programs
As a Cleveland-based business, it is our social responsibility to help build and ensure the city’s future. Since 2008, Fay Sharpe has sponsored students from St. Martin de Porres High School through their Corporate Work Study Program. (See our Community Involvement page for more details on this program.) St. Martin has boasted three years of 100% college acceptance, which will positively impact Cleveland’s future workforce and economy. Additionally, our attorneys have volunteered in the 3R’s Program (Rights, Responsibilities, Realities) which fosters personal connections between the legal community and high school students in Cleveland and East Cleveland. By encouraging post secondary education and providing OTJ skills training we strive to fill the pipeline with competent, motivated, successful women/minority employees in the legal field.
Internally, our female attorneys have established Women of Fay Sharpe, to help promote the Fay Sharpe brand and our inclusion initiatives, create new business relationships, and strengthen relationships with current clients.
We recognize that success of our Commitment to Diversity lies in the continual search for more opportunities to develop and enact our initiatives.
The Women of Fay Sharpe Attorneys (from l-r): Kim Textoris, Colleen Goss, Mandy Seuffert, Sue Ellen Phillips, Jude Fry, Sandra Koenig, Ann Skerry