Shook Named 2015 Recipient of Coca-Cola's "Living Values" Award
Three-time winner, Shook is the only law firm to repeat
Shook, Hardy & Bacon has been named the 2015 recipient of The Coca-Cola Company’s “Living the Values” Award. Established by the beverage company to recognize its U.S.-based partner law firms that demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, Shook is the only law firm to win the award more than once, having previously won in 2008 and 2013.
“We are honored and gratified each and every time that we are recognized for our diversity achievements,” said Chair John Murphy. “The most meaningful, however, is recognition by a client for a job well done. We treasure our partnership with Coca-Cola, and we look forward to continuing our work alongside Coca-Cola in many areas, including the pursuit of a more diverse and inclusive legal profession.”
Murphy accepted the award on behalf of Shook at an awards ceremony Feb. 1 in Atlanta.
Awarded by Coca-Cola’s legal division annually since 2008, recipients of the Living the Values Award are chosen based on their values and initiatives to support and foster diversity and inclusion, including commitment of senior management to diversity, representation of minorities and women within the firm, success in recruiting and retaining minority and female associates, creative partnership arrangements with minority and women-owned firms, and the level of firmwide participation in diversity programs.
Bernhard Goepelt, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Legal Counsel for The Coca-Cola Company stated, “Shook stands out not only because of its success in hiring, developing, and retaining women and minority associates, but also because of its numerous initiatives to improve its pipeline of diverse attorneys and its reverse mentoring programs for attorneys and staff within the firm.”
“It’s a proven fact: a diverse and inclusive work environment fosters greater efficiency and creativity, but to get there requires a practice of being inclusive and working to create an environment where everyone can thrive. We know it is not about doing more, it’s about doing better,” said Kori Carew, Shook’s director of strategic diversity initiatives. “Today, we celebrate this acknowledgement from The Coca-Cola Company that what we’re doing is making a difference.”
With leadership commitment and accountability, involvement of all, and integration of diversity and inclusion into all aspects of firm practice and management, Shook takes an intentional, strategic and holistic approach to advancing diversity and inclusion, focusing on initiatives, strategies and policies that will have an impact. Shook thoughtfully recruits, engages and develops talent, investing in and supporting attorneys and professional staff to achieve meaningful success.
Shook often partners with clients in recruiting and developing attorneys of diverse backgrounds. Shook’s diversity and inclusion efforts include providing training on inclusive leadership, examining systems and processes for hidden bias and blind spots, creating and empowering a Women’s Management Council, asking attorneys and professional staff to participate in its award-winning Individual Diversity and Inclusion Commitment Plan (formerly called the D&I Checklist), and creating innovative pipeline efforts including the Diversity Writing Program.
Coca-Cola’s global diversity mission is to mirror the rich diversity of the marketplace it serves and be recognized for its leadership in diversity and inclusion in all aspects of its business, including the workplace, marketplace, its supplier base and within the community, enhancing the company’s social license to operate. Coca-Cola was one of the first Fortune 100 companies to publicly honor law firms that excel in workplace diversity programs.
Shook was recognized for its diversity and inclusion practices by several organizations in 2015:
- Women in Law Empowerment Forum bestowed its Gold Standard Certification on Shook for the fifth consecutive year. Shook met all six of the criteria for the certification, and was one of only two law firms to do so in 2015.
- Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index gave Shook its highest rating (100 percent) for the seventh consecutive year.
- Vault named Shook one of the top 25 law firms in the country for diversity:
- 3rd in Diversity for Military Veterans;
- 6th in Diversity for Individuals with Disabilities;
- 7th in Overall Diversity;
- 7th in Diversity for Minorities;
- 11th in Diversity for Women;
- 17th in LGBT Diversity.
- Law360 named Shook 21st on its list of Best Law Firms for Female Attorneys and among the 50 Best Firms for Minority Partners. Shook ranked 21st based on its female representation at the partner and nonpartner levels and the total number of female attorneys. The Minority Partners ranking was based on percentage of equity partners who are minorities.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola®, one of the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands, the Company’s portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke®, Fanta®, Sprite®, Coca-Cola Zero™, vitaminwater®, POWERADE®, Minute Maid®, Simply Orange®, Georgia®, Dasani®, FUZE® TEA and Del Valle®. Globally, the Company is the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy Company beverages at a rate of 1.9 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, the Company is focused on initiatives that reduce its environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where the Company operates. Together with our bottling partners, the Company ranks among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates.