Business Information

MISSION STATEMENT:

In the wake of the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many other people of color, there are a litany of emotions we have felt and shared. Shock, horror, disgust, sadness, anger. Against this backdrop, WSHB stands in full support with the Black/African American community as well as other vulnerable communities. We categorically and unequivocally condemn systemic racism.

As a law firm, we are fully committed to making a meaningful impact and being part of the changes that our society needs. For many years, WSHB has received national recognition for our commitment to a diverse workplace, however, we know we can, and must, do better, and do more. With one of the strongest records in the legal industry for diversity and inclusion, we have an excellent foundation upon which we can build and expand our efforts to provide greater opportunities for Black/African Americans and all
people of color.

Specifically, we will continue to work with our recruitment teams to hire and create true opportunities for careers at WSHB for Black/African Americans and all people of all diverse races and backgrounds. We will continue and expand upon our charitable and philanthropic work focused on assisting those in underfunded and under served communities. And, following our guiding principles since our founding in 1997, we will continue to provide a safe, inclusive workplace with a zero-tolerance for any racist conduct or bias.

We are listening to our communities and our colleagues who are sharing their painful realities, ideas and aspirations for a better future. We share and support these aspirations, and we are committed to using the resources of our firm and our values to fight against racism and inequality to move forward towards a better world for all.

• Do you have a written diversity strategy that has been communicated to your employees?  YES
• Do you tie a component of compensation to diversity efforts?  YES
• Do you have a policy that specifically prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression?  YES
• Do you provide opportunity for employees to voluntarily disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression through your company’s data collective procedures?  YES
• Do you have a policy that specifically provides for paid parental leave?  YES
• Do you have an equality or diversity and inclusion policy?  YES
• Do you have a policy that allows employees to work part-time with benefits?  YES
• Do you have a policy that allows employees to work part-time without benefits?  YES
• Do you have a policy that allows employees to work flexible hours?  YES
• OWNERSHIP:
  • Please contact Stephen Henning at shenning@wshblaw.com
• WORKFORCE DIVERSITY:
  • Please contact Stephen Henning at shenning@wshblaw.com
• RESOURCE DEDICATION:
  • Diversity and Inclusion Officer: Domingo Tan is a partner at the firm with a steady hand in the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. He started at the firm as a summer associate, and has grown over time to lead both the recruiting committee and our diversity and inclusion efforts. He is joined by Gregory Arakawa, who has been with the firm since day one, and currently chairs the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force.
  • Diversity and Inclusion Committee:
    • Gregory Arakawa, Equity Partner
    • Michelle Arbitrio, Defined Equity Partner
    • Summit Dhillon, Partner
    • Kimberly Jones, Partner
    • Janice Michaels, Equity Partner
    • Jodi Mullis, Partner
    • Domingo Tan, Defined Equity Partner
    • Kelly Waters, Partner
  • Leadership within a Diversity Organization
    • Please contact Stephen Henning at shenning@wshblaw.com
  • DEI Awards and Recognitions
    • Ranked third on The American Lawyer’s 2020 Diversity Scorecard.
    • Ranked seventh on the National Law Journal’s Women in Law Scorecard for 2020.
    • Ranked ninth on Law360’s 2020 Glass Ceiling Report, 251-600 attorney category.
    • Western Region Recipient of Liberty Mutual Insurance’s 2019 Diversity & Inclusion Award.
  • Presenting a diversity-focused topic at a professional event
    • Alicia Kennon presented at the Claims & Litigation Management’s New York Conference. She presented on unconscious bias in negotiations, how to identify and overcome said biases to facilitate better outcomes.
    • Michelle Arbitrio presented on “Women, Compensation and the Gender Pay Gap” at the Women Leaders in Insurance ExecuSummit.
    • Kelly Waters presented “Girl on Fire: The Price of Pursuing the Truth in the #MeToo World,” at the Claims & Litigation Management’s Cyber, Management & Professional Liability Conference.
  • Publication of a diversity-focused article
    • Constance Endelicato, Best Lawyers Magazine, “Women in Law Defending Women in Medicine”
    • Kacey Martin, Attorney at Law Magazine, “Fryed: The Untaught History Behind the Infamous Test”
  • Women and/or minorities that hold board member positions in any other organization
    • Please contact Stephen Henning at shenning@wshblaw.com
  • Attendance at diversity focused events:  YES
  • Diversity Training:  YES
• FINANCIAL DEDICATION
  • Sponsorship of a Diversity Event
    • Sponsor of Execusummit Women Leaders in Insurance Conference
    • Sponsor attendance at CLM’s Diversity Conferences
    • Sponsor attendance at PLUS Organization’s Diversity Conferences
    • Sponsor attendance at Women’s Bar Association Events throughout the country
  • Membership payments for employees to join diverse organizations:  YES
    • Our attorneys are offered reimbursement for memberships in organizations that promote diversity, equality and inclusion in the legal profession. The firm is 100% agreeable to pay reasonable membership fees provided the membership and organization meet certain basic criteria. 1) Reimbursement will be given to those individuals who apply for membership in an organization which has a significant interest in promoting diversity in the legal profession, 2) the membership fees must be reasonable, 3) and one must be involved in the activities of that organization and their plans for promoting diversity.
  • Supplier/Business partner diversity program:  YES
  • Social Responsibility: Volunteerism and donation to causes promoting equity partnering outside DE&I Groups
    • We have an active volunteer program that gives back to the community. For example, each of our 30 offices work to identify and assist with food and donations to families in-need throughout our communities. Individually, we also actively give back to the community. For instance, one of our firm founders has served on the State of California Board and Chaired the Los Angeles Chapter Board of the March of Dimes. As an organization, the March of Dimes addresses African American women inequity, the disproportionate amount of premature births for that demographic and provides support to healthy babies across the board through research, outreach and more. Another one of our founding partner’s champions a public aid legal organization, which he has been an active board member for almost 18 years. This organization exclusively aids diverse communities confronting such troubling family law issues as domestic violence and adoptions for those in lower income brackets. This is just a very small sampling of how the individuals at WSHB give back to the community.