Our Commitment to Diversity
Hermes Sargent Bates’ Statement on Diversity

Our Diversity is Our Brilliance

Hermes Sargent Bates L.L.P (“HSB”) is proud to be one of the most proportionately diverse law firms in the Southwest and one that reflects the diversity of the world in which we operate.  Diversity and inclusion are part of the fabric of HSB. The goal of this firm, from its inception, was to build a different kind of workplace unencumbered by traditional barriers.  We adopted what continues to be our guiding principle—a poem written by James A. Autry in Life & Work: A Manager’s Search for Meaning:

Four Important Things in Work and Life
Find your people.
Find your place.
Tell your story.
Listen.

Supporting diversity demands the careful cultivation of relationships, both within and outside the firm, built on respect and dialogue. Our definition of diversity reaches beyond race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other statutorily defined groups. We bring people together, lawyers and non-lawyers, of a variety of abilities, skills, experiences and backgrounds to enable superior results and work product in an enthusiastic work environment.

Communication is the Foundation of Our Plan

We believe that building and maintaining diverse perspectives takes time, commitment and communication; as such, several years ago the firm’s leadership established forums to encourage open dialogue with diverse perspectives. The goal remains to create an environment of understanding and awareness.

The Diversity Committee. The Diversity Committee, made up of six people from diverse backgrounds, focuses on making HSB a great place to work—a place where everyone, no matter their differences, feels a sense of belonging. Upon formalizing HSB’s commitment to diversity and inclusion program in 2005, the committee was delighted to find that the firm’s great work environment had already resulted in a diverse workforce. Today, HSB remains one of the most proportionately diverse law firms in the Southwest, which we believe is a direct result of our Diversity Committee’s efforts to keep diversity and inclusion at the forefront. Our current workforce demographic is listed at the end of this page.

The Women’s Initiative Group. HSB’s Women’s Initiative Group (“WIG”) focuses on building relationships within and outside the firm. The group provides a forum for client development opportunities beyond the typical golf outing. WIG’s purpose is to provide a comfortable environment for women to discuss the unique challenges they face in the legal industry. Proudly, 45% of HSB attorneys are female; however WIG is open to all attorneys, male and female, and is just one of the many ways that HSB focuses on the inclusion of all attorneys while providing an avenue for mentorship and development among its attorneys.  WIG has sponsored a variety of programs for our clients and attorneys, ranging from Holiday Nails and Cocktails where participants received spa services, to fundraising events for women focused non-profit organizations including Our Friends Place and Dress for Success.

Sometimes, It’s a Balancing Act

We believe that to achieve optimum performance, our staff, associates and partners must maintain a healthy balance between work and home life. Similarly, we believe that our clients and firm are best served in today's diversified marketplace by maintaining a healthy mix of persons from many walks of life. Our working environment and sense of inclusion honor our most basic needs as human beings and are created by a means that many in the legal profession may consider unconventional.

Counseling services. HSB provides the confidential services of a licensed counselor to all employees twice a month. Employees make confidential appointments to discuss any topic, some of which may include building skills, advancing personally and professionally, parenting and conflict resolution.

Paperless, therefore flexible. HSB also recognizes its employees’ need for flexible work schedules to ensure balance between personal and professional demands. The firm is committed to cutting edge technology such as paperless files, secured remote access to the firm’s Intranet, phone systems and PDAs that allow remote access, call forwarding and real time receipt of voice and e-mail messages even when outside of the office. This technology not only benefits HSB employees by allowing them flexibility in their schedules and the ability to work remotely when necessary, it also benefits clients by cutting costs and making work more efficient.

Looking Beyond Our Own Walls

Our people participate in many activities that promote the betterment of our community inside and outside the legal profession.

Supporting the non-profit community. We are proud of our commitment to the community. Some of our efforts include:

• Painting homes for Helping Hand, a non-profit organization designed to assist low income Dallas residents.
• Organizing multiple fundraisers and drives for various groups, including Our Friends Place, Dress for Success, American Red Cross and Toys for Tots.
• Adopting a family every December and personally shopping and delivering food and gifts.
• Supporting the Texas Young Lawyers ProBAR initiative to assist unaccompanied children detained, often upon horrible circumstances at our nations borders.
• Participating in United Way campaigns.
• Participating in the Dallas Bar Association’s eMentoring program, which pairs attorneys with at-risk Dallas Independent School District students.
• Promoting and participating in the DBA’s Lawyers in the Classroom program, which brings lawyers into the classroom of seventh graders to educate them about the practice of law and opportunities of higher education for everyone.
• Promoting TYLA’s They Had A Dream Too program.
• Supporting the Child Abuse Prevention Center.
• Participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, which raises awareness and funds for breast cancer research.
• Being a member of the Governor’s Advisory Board for The Aidmatrix Foundation.
• Being active in the Volunteer Center of North Texas as member of the Board of Trustees.
• Through DAYL’s Barristers for Babies Program, leading a teddy bear drive for the children of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital.

Supporting the professional community. In addition, HSB is involved in many different efforts to promote diversity and compassion in the legal profession by writing, speaking and creating opportunities for dialogue on this topic. Most recently, one or more of our professionals have:

• Co-Chaired the Dinner and Dialogue Program, focusing on diversity and sponsored by the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers.
• Supported and attended the DRI Diversity for Success conference.
• Supported and attended the Texas Diversity Conference.
• Served as a panel member on the Human Rights Campaign program presented by Frito-Lay.
• Participated in the Texas Minority Counsel Program’s annual conference.
• Served as a co-chair of the Diversity Committee for the Harmonie Group, an international, geographically exclusive and invitation only network of independent defense law firms.

Media, marketing & recruiting. We make a point to share our efforts and successes related to diversity with the media, our clients, potential clients, and our community through articles, press releases, advertising, and sponsorships. In addition, we advertise employment opportunities with minority bar associations in order to assure a diverse pool of candidates for every legal-related position.

We’re Not Your Father’s Law Firm

HSB diversity statistics at-a-glance. It is our policy to hire, promote, and retain highly skilled people of all ages, ethnicities, and genders. Our diversity is reflected in our workforce statistics, as shown below (all data accurate as of August 15, 2010):

• Largest law firm in Texas with a female name partner
• 52% of HSB attorneys are female and/or ethnic minorities
• 40% of our partners are female and/or ethnic minorities
• 60% of our associates are female and/or ethnic minorities
• 60% of HSB senior associates are female and/or ethnic minorities
• Attorneys licensed in California, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia
• Attorneys and staff are fluent or conversational in German, Italian, Spanish and Taiwanese
• Recently named among the “Best Companies to Work for in Texas” for the fifth consecutive year
• Member of The Harmonie Group, an exclusive, invitation-only network of independent defense law firms in cities across North America

Percent of attorneys hired in the past six years who are female and/or ethnic minorities:

• 2009: 67%
• 2008: 60%
• 2007: 50%
• 2006: 80%
• 2005: 50%
• 2004: 69%
• 2003: 71%