Diversity
We feel that a workforce that reflects the needs and interests of our clients and a work environment that provides wide opportunity for people with varied backgrounds is essential. Hanson Bridgett's commitment to diversity begins with the law schools where we seek to recruit diverse classes of summer associates and support the needs of minority students through the Gerald Marcus Fellowship, which was established in 2002. We also help students from diverse backgrounds prepare for professional careers through the firm's annual 1L Interview Workshop, now in its fourteenth year. Within our firm's daily activities we have joined the effort to provide greater opportunities reflected in the BASF's Goals and Timetables and the No Glass Ceiling Initiative and undertake pro bono activities that protect the rights of underrepresented minorities.
Within our industry we play a leading role in organizations committed to increasing diversity in the profession such as the California Minority Counsel Program (CMCP), Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), and Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF) and seek to provide meaningful support to bar and community organizations that assist underrepresented communities. Creating and sustaining diversity is a continuing, worthwhile challenge and we have chosen not to be indifferent.
Hanson Bridgett Women’s Impact Network (HBWIN)
While the firm has always encouraged and supported women attorneys to attend events targeted to women, in 2010, the firm also launched HBWIN. HBWIN’s initiatives involve regular meetings of all women attorneys in the firm, including women summer associates, and provides mentoring and support to women while they advance through their careers. Topics that have been covered in the HBWIN meetings include: developing leadership skills to help women build successful careers; perspectives on reduced time; investing for your future (with a financial expert); tips for getting and staying organized; how to network more effectively; how to choose your practice area; and serving in firm management - what you should know. The group has also sponsored women attorneys' attendance at leadership events and has hosted various events to bring women together to network and socialize. The women partners of the firm make a sincere and concentrated effort to mentor women associates and have put together events and outings to discuss experiences, challenges, and circumstances unique to women attorneys.
Diversity Recognition
Our firm is proud to be recognized for the work that we have done in support of the promotion of diversity in the legal field.
Hanson Bridgett was recognized by Working Mother as one of the 60 Best Firms for Women, Inaugural Hall of Fame. (2019)
Hanson Bridgett was awarded #2 of Best Law Firms for Female Attorneys by Law360. (2019)
Hanson Bridgett Partner, Kristina Lawson, was awarded San Francisco Business Times' Most Influential Women in the Bay Area. (2019)
Hanson Bridgett was awarded #7 of Best Law Firms for Minority Equity Partners by Law360. (2019)
Hanson Bridgett ranked #28 by the American Lawyer Diversity Scorecard. (2018)
Law360 ranked Hanson Bridgett #3 for the Top Firms For Minority Partners. At each of the 40 firms, more than 10 percent of U.S.-based equity partners are minorities. (2015-2017)
Law360 ranked Hanson Bridgett #4 among the 100 Best U.S. Law Firms for Women, based on the firm's female representation at the partner and non-partner levels and its total number of female attorneys. In addition, the firm was named one of Law360's "Ceiling Smashers," which are the 25 U.S.-based law firms that have the highest percentage of female partners. (2015-2018)
Hanson Bridgett was named one of the "50 Best Law Firms for Women" by Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers. The firm was selected for its continued attention to work-life and women's issues as well as urging increased use of flex-time, reduced-hour and other family-friendly policies to ensure the future success of the profession. (2010-2018)
Hanson Bridgett Partner, John Cu, was awarded the Rick Palmore LCLD Fellows Alumni Award. (2017)
Hanson Bridgett was recognized by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity as a Top Performer. (2016-2017)
Hanson Bridgett was recognized by the Diversity Law Institute for promoting diversity and inclusion at the highest level. (2017)
Hanson Bridgett Partner, Garner Weng, was inducted into the California Minority Counsel Program’s Diversity Leader Hall of Fame. (2016)
Hanson Bridgett was awarded the "Employer of the Year" Worklife Award by The ARC San Francisco. (2016)
Hanson Bridgett was awarded the "Break the Ceiling" Leadership Award at the inaugural ELEVATE: An Event Honoring Diversity & Women's Leadership in Commercial Real Estate event produced by The Registry and the Bay Area CREW Chapters. (2016)
The California Diversity Council awarded André Campbell with its Multicultural Leadership Award. (2016)
Hanson Bridgett ranked by Law360 among the Best Law Firms for Minority Attorneys. (2015-2016, 2018-2019)
The Bar Association of San Francisco honored Hanson Bridgett with the Barrister's Club Diversity Award for contributions to diversity programs. (2010, 2015)
Boalt Hall Women's Association honored Nancy Newman with its inaugural "Women Advancing the Law" award. (2015)
The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley awarded the firm with the Beacon Award for Diversity. The award is presented to the law firm that has demonstrated the strongest commitment to diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace and in its outside endeavors. (2013)
Hanson Bridgett was awarded the Law Firm of the Year award by the Aids Legal Referral Panel. (2013)
Hanson Bridgett was awarded the "Unity Award" by the Bar Association of San Francisco. (2012)
Hanson Bridgett was certified by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) as one of 50 firms qualifying for its Gold Standard Certification—a designation for firms that have integrated women into the highest leadership positions in the firm. (2011-2012)
Hanson Bridgett was awarded the Law Firm Diversity Award from the State Bar of California for our long-term, sustained accomplishments toward increasing diversity in the legal profession. (2011)
Hanson Bridgett was ranked the Third Highest Percentage of Female Partners in Law360's law survey. (2009)
Hanson Bridgett was ranked the Fourth Highest Percentage of Women Partners in the 50 Biggest Law Firms in California, as recognized by California Lawyer. (2009)
The California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) paid tribute to Hanson Bridgett for its service to the community by granting the firm the David Cunningham Corporate Community Service Award. CABL has a time-honored tradition of annually paying tribute to those individuals and corporations who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession and in service to the community. (2008)
Hanson Bridgett was honored by the Asian American Bar Association (AABA). The firm received AABA's first-ever Commitment to Diversity Award, in recognition of its long-standing contribution to diversity and to AABA's activities. (2006)
The firm received the Minority Corporate Counsel Association Thomas L. Sager Award for the Western Region. This award was established to honor law firms that have demonstrated sustained commitment to improve the hiring, retention, promotion and mentoring of minority attorneys. (2004)
Hanson Bridgett received an Award of Distinction from the Law Students of African Descent at University of California, Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law for its continued support of the organization. (2004)
The firm was honored by the California Minority Counsel Program with the Drucilla Stender Ramey Majority Law Firm Award. The award honors the majority law firm that best demonstrates its commitment to diversity. The award criteria focus on recruitment, retention, and promotion rates of attorneys of color, the support of and participation in CMCP and ethnic minority bar associations, and the establishment of a law-firm culture that values diversity. (2003)