LGBTQ Affinity Group Highlights
Misson Statement
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) Affinity Group promotes equal opportunity and professional development for the firm's LGBTQ lawyers. Through its representation on the firm's Diversity Council, the group works to ensure that Holland & Knight remains a leader among law firms with regard to its LGBTQ-friendly policies and initiatives. Externally, members of the LGBTQ Affinity Group, in concert with the firm's Public and Charitable Service Department, have spearheaded pro bono "impact" litigation involving LGBTQ asylum issues and U.S. laws severely limiting the ability of persons with HIV-AIDS to travel to the United States.
About the Firm's LGBTQ Initiative
• The LGBTQ Affinity Group was one of the firm's first affinity group initiatives, initially formed as the LGBT Workgroup in 1998.
• The firm's attorneys regularly attend and recruit from the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association's Annual Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair, and participate in, support and represent various regional and national LGBTQ organizations.
• In 2023, the firm earned a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index for the ninth consecutive year.
• The firm earned "Mansfield Certified" status in 2023 for the sixth consecutive year. This recognized that the firm considered broad slates of qualified talent for leadership roles that included at least 30 percent historically underrepresented lawyers – such as women lawyers, underrepresented racial and ethnic lawyers, LGBTQ+ lawyers and lawyers with disabilities.
• The LGBTQ Affinity Group has celebrated Pride Month across firm offices for more than a decade, as well as sponsored events and initiatives to increase awareness and support for the LGBTQ communities within and outside of the firm.
LGBTQ-Friendly Policies
• Holland & Knight was one of the first law firms in the U.S. to offer domestic partner benefits and has done so since the 1990s.
• The firm's antidiscrimination policy specifically includes sexual orientation and gender identity and/or expression.
• In 2013, our longstanding Parental and Primary Caregiver Leave Policy for attorneys was amended to provide 16 weeks of paid leave for individuals physically giving birth and 10 weeks of paid leave for primary caregivers of an adopted child.
• In 2014, we amended our health insurance plan to provide transgender-inclusive health insurance coverage.
• In 2019, we adopted a protocol regarding the provision of information, resources and support to transgender employees.
• A policy permitting employees to include pronouns in their email signature blocks was approved in 2019. Soon after, the policy was extended to attorney bios.
• Also in 2019, we adopted a gender-neutral parental leave policy for staff.
• Holland & Knight has an extensive Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy and a prohibition against various forms of harassment, which are enforced by a committee of attorneys and firm management.
• Effective Jan. 1, 2022, all timekeepers are eligible for up to 50 creditable hours toward their annual billable hour requirements for time spent in connection with internal and external diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts.
Key Relationships
The firm joined Equality Florida in 2015 and Texas Competes in 2016. This commitment was further solidified in 2020, when Holland & Knight signed on to the Human Rights Campaign's Business Coalition for the Equality Act, which supports equal employment for LGBTQ Americans.
LGBTQ Leadership
Co-Chairs Brian Goodrich and Kate Skeele have recently assumed leadership from longtime co-chairs and continuing advisors Michael Manthei and Dianne Phillips, who led the LGBTQ Affinity Group for more than 20 years.
Brian Goodrich
Partner | Dallas 214.964.9429
brian.goodrich@hklaw.com
Kate Skeele
Partner | New York 212.513.3534
katherine.skeele@hklaw.com