Crowell & Moring LLP

Diversity and inclusion:

At Crowell & Moring we value and respect differences, knowing that diversity of culture and thought make us a stronger firm. We continue to develop ways to weave these themes into the fabric of our firm. Our Diversity Council established three strategic objectives that drive our ongoing diversity and inclusion efforts: (1) Inclusion – maintaining an inclusive work environment where everyone feels respected and valued; (2) Opportunity – ensuring that diverse lawyers receive appropriate opportunities to excel and be promoted within the firm; and (3) Recruitment – improving recruiting of diverse candidates and regularly evaluating our pipeline to ensure we are reaching a broad and diverse pool of talent.

We aim to accomplish these objectives through 1) metrics setting, tracking, and reporting related to our recruitment, evaluation, promotion, and leadership appointment processes; 2) increased support of our affinity groups; 3) diligence in addressing the professional development needs of our women and diverse populations; 4) increased visibility and network building opportunities for our diverse talent; and 5) continued education and dialogue across all offices regarding the effects of implicit bias that become increasingly challenging in a remote working environment. In the Brussels office, we are particularly proud to be a founding member of the Legal Diversity and Inclusion Alliance, which was established in October 2018. For more information, see: https://www.crowell.com/Diversity.

Corporate social responsibility:

Since its foundation, Crowell & Moring Brussels has developed and participated in initiatives aimed at creating a better world, such as supporting various charities (financially and otherwise), like DIApositief, participating in the Race for the Cure and the “Kom op tegen kanker” (Fight cancer) bicycle ride, and co-organising a weekend “call-in clinic” offering legal services for free. In 2018, the Brussels practice created a Corporate Social Responsibility Committee to create a solid corporate social responsibility strategy for the firm based on the UN sustainable development goals.

Women’s Leadership Initiative:

Crowell & Moring’s Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) is dedicated to the recruitment, retention, professional development, and advancement of our female-identifying lawyers. Throughout the year, the Brussels chapter of the WLI hosted a series of Crowell Café conversations, including a panel of external experts discussing topics such as diverse leadership, the gender pay gap, and the challenges of maximizing teamwork across generations. More information can be found here.

Pro bono:

Pro bono publico means for the public good. We keep challenging ourselves to live up to this phrase; to create a law firm that’s about forming strong, long-lasting relationships and working hard to improve the communities that surround us. Today, the firm’s lawyers (worldwide) contribute more than 35,000 hours in pro bono legal services annually to the indigent and suffering in our local communities and around the world.

In the wake of the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, and in response to the subsequent heightened awareness around racial injustice, the firm established a Racial Justice Pro Bono Task Force, aimed at further developing the firm’s long-standing pro bono strategy for combating racial injustice.