Legal: Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP

LEGAL

Standing on equal ground in the legal industry

NOEMI ARELLANO-SUMMER | Contributing Writer

WHEN SHE FIRST JOINED Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, Lauren Motola-Davis, the firm’s local managing partner, was quickly impressed with the diversity and equity that existed in the nationally prominent law firm.

Motola-Davis said when she came aboard in 2015, she wanted a diverse environment. When she sat and spoke with 11 female partners about their experiences, she knew this was the right firm.

Motola-Davis says she has enjoyed her work ever since, continually being amazed at the amount of diversity she’s seen at the firm’s events from clients, lawyers and staff.

“It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced,” she said. “It was a big chance, with a big risk, but I have no regrets.”

With 55 offices in 32 states, including a Providence office, Lewis Brisbois is a full-service law firm with a commitment to diversity. The firm participated in the Mansfield Rule 5.0 certification program, which requires that at least 30% of candidates for leadership roles come from underrepresented groups. The entities collaborated on this with Diversity Lab for more than a year. Lewis Brisbois Chief Diversity Partner Rima Badawiya said that the firm has already signed up for the next series as well.

Motola-Davis is part of the Women’s Initiative Committee, and also noted that the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee currently has women co-chairs. The firm has affinity groups for Black women attorneys and LGBTQ+ employees, as well as plenty of practice groups nationwide. Lewis Brisbois has also participated in the Lavender Law Conference, which connects LGBTQ+ lawyers and staff across the profession.

“We have a diverse culture,” Motola-Davis said of her own office, which holds 11 attorneys and six staff members, some of whom are Black, Latino, or LGBTQ+. “Different attorneys and staff bring different qualities.”

Lewis Brisbois has a DEI mentoring program, a Summer Associate Diversity fellowship program and also requires everyone to go through training. Motola-Davis was also proud to note the firm was ranked No. 13 in the 2022 Law360 Diversity Snapshot, which collected data from 295 law firms either located in or with a substantial presence in the U.S. and ranked them with peer firms of a comparable size.

Badawiya said the firm is working through the challenge of retaining lawyers and staff during the chaos of the workforce in a world beyond COVID-19. Lewis Brisbois is focusing on acquiring talented people, mentoring them and making sure they stay in the firm for the rest of their careers.

“We’re not just paying lip service to the ideals but actually living the reality with our actions,” Badawiya said. “We can talk but without meaningful action, it’s not meaningful. It’s a journey, not a destination. That’s what we do here, and we’re proud of that.”

LEWIS BRISBOIS BISGAARD & SMITH LLP

DIVERSE DISCUSSION: Staff members at the Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP law firm in Providence discuss diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Lewis Brisbois also puts a huge amount of effort into setting up events and social media posts to honor a particular group each month, such as National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September into October every year. Current lawyers and staff are honored as part of the particular group.

“It’s inclusive,” Motola-Davis said. “We cultivate a supporting network and safe space for diverse lawyers and staff.”

Badawiya also said that mentorship is a big part of Lewis Brisbois’ efforts with diversity. The Summer Associate Diversity fellowship, for example, specifically focuses on partners mentoring young lawyers so “they have someone to talk to and help them navigate through the practice-of-law process,” she said.

Motola-Davis’ Providence office gives back to the community each year by partnering with Women’s Refugee Care during the holiday season. The program supports African refugees in Rhode Island with resources they may need for their families. Motola-Davis and her office usually help by collecting for a specific family in need.

“I consider myself a role model for younger women,” Motola-Davis said, adding that it is possible for “women to get to the top of the firm. It’s a tough and demanding career but rewarding.”

Badawiya is focused more heavily on how Lewis Brisbois is working to retain staff, saying the firm continues to do the work it is doing in the space to recruit diverse candidates. n

‘Different attorneys and staff bring different qualities.’