Baker Botts Wins 2021 ChIPs Honor Roll Award for D&I Efforts
SAN FRANCISO, October 27, 2021 – Baker Botts was selected as a 2021 ChIPs Honor Roll Award winner as a result of its Inclusion Blueprint Leadership & IP Index Score and “Do Something Hard” commitment.
In September, the firm committed to take at least one “Do Something Hard” action as part of the 2021 Inclusion Blueprint, a collaborative project between Diversity Lab and Chiefs in Intellectual Property (ChIPs), that provides a tool to measure the inclusion activities that law firms can and should employ, at both the leadership and practice group levels.
Baker Botts pledged to provide a certain number of hours of billable credit to lawyers for meaningful contributions to promoting diversity and inclusion at the firm and in the profession. The firm’s Intellectual Property department also took an Ally Action Pledge, which asks partners to advocate for and champion at least one diverse associate or junior partner.
The IP department went a step further and committed to considering the makeup of the team members on each new pitch and proposal to ensure meaningful diversity of the teams. Since taking on this initiative, 68% of the firm’s new pitches and proposals have been made up of 50% or more diverse team members. Christa Brown-Sanford, Deputy Chair of the IP Department and Co-Chair of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, stated that “Baker Botts’ IP leadership is committed to reevaluating all aspects of our day-to-day practice to create an environment that allows each of our IP attorneys to develop and thrive. Making this commitment and participating in this project is a small step in achieving this goal.”
The award was announced during the ChIPs Global Summit, held on October 27 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, California.
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Baker Botts is an international law firm whose lawyers practice throughout a network of offices around the globe. Based on our experience and knowledge of our clients' industries, we are recognized as a leading firm in the energy, technology and life sciences sectors. Since 1840, we have provided creative and effective legal solutions for our clients while demonstrating an unrelenting commitment to excellence. For more information, please visit bakerbotts.com.