1. Home
2. Daily News
3. BigLaw firm tones down diversity references…

Diversity

BigLaw firm tones down diversity references on website, citing ‘fluctuating internal and external expectations’

By Debra Cassens Weiss

February 13, 2025, 10:13 am CST

Updated: K&L Gates has removed references to “diversity” from its website and rebranded its Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Above the Law noted the changes after monitoring BigLaw websites since President Donald Trump took office last month.

According to Above the Law, K&L Gates has removed or changed these references:

  • The link to “Our Commitment to Diversity” on the homepage has been removed.

  • “Diversity and Inclusion” is changed to “Opportunity and Inclusion” on the “About” page.

  • The renamed “Opportunity and Inclusion” page no longer includes diversity percentages for leadership positions.

  • The law firm has removed a sentence reading, “We pledge to follow the Mansfield Rule,” which requires firms seeking certification to commit to certain percentages of diverse candidates for leadership positions.

  • The Diversity and Inclusion Committee has been renamed the Opportunity and Inclusion Committee.

K&L Gates explained the changes in a firmwide email obtained by Above the Law.

The email said K&L Gates is not diminishing its commitment to opportunity and inclusion.

“We are embracing the terminology opportunity and inclusion to more comprehensively express our commitment to fostering a culture that supports and empowers a broad range of individuals with diverse backgrounds and different life experiences,” the email said.

“The website changes are reflective of guidance being received by many clients and others, as entities understandably are taking a hard look at how to preserve their values amid fluctuating internal and external expectations and to ensure they remain compliant with shifting laws and regulations,” the email said.

“To date, the changes on our website have been implemented and led by a cross-section of stakeholders at our firm, including importantly by members of our opportunity and inclusion team. The team is still in the process of making updates to the website—and we can assure you that the feedback we receive will be factored in.”

K&L Gates made similar points in this statement forwarded to the ABA Journal: “Consistent with our long-held values, K&L Gates is committed to advancing opportunity and inclusion across all facets of the firm. Revisions to our website have been implemented and led by a cross-section of stakeholders at our firm, including importantly by members of our Opportunity and Inclusion Committee, and we are and will continue to be in close communication with our entire global team about these changes. Not only do we place great value on our team members’ unique backgrounds, talents and skills, but we also benefit as a firm from the diversity of their lived and learned experiences. We are dedicated to ensuring that every person at K&L Gates feels respected, heard, valued and supported. We have not diminished in any way our long-standing commitment to foster an inclusive, talented team, as we know this enables us to provide the best possible service to our clients and empowers our workforce to thrive.”

Updated Feb. 13 at 11:09 a.m. to include the statement from K&L Gates.

Write a letter to the editor, share a story tip or update, or report an error.

1. Home
2. Daily News
3. BigLaw firms set earnings expectations for…

Law Firms

BigLaw firms set earnings expectations for partners, create ‘super tiers’ to reward top performers

By Debra Cassens Weiss

October 31, 2024, 11:56 am CDT

As BigLaw firms focus more on metrics, many are setting earnings expectations for partners, according to legal recruiters who spoke with Law.com.

The amounts vary, but some examples are equity-partner expectations of at least $5 million to $7 million in business per year, Mike Parrillo, a recruiter in New York and founder of the Parrillo Search Group, told Law.com.

“Law firms are getting more serious about setting clear expectations on business and even specific benchmarks for certain partners,” Parrillo said. “This comes as firms are thinking more critically about how profitability should be shared.”

Kristin Stark, a firm consultant and a principal at Fairfax Associates, said some firms are using “super points” or creating “super tiers” to reward the highest performers.

“By virtue of a super tier existing, it is raising the bar for everyone,” Stark told Law.com.

Firms are getting strict about expectations in a quest to increase profits per equity partner, said Susan Mendelsohn, a Chicago-based legal recruiter, in an interview with Law.com.

“They want to be Am Law 10 or 15 or 20, so perhaps being more strict in increasing or enforcing those levels,” she said.