Goulston & Storrs, an Am Law 200 firm, is pleased to announce the firm has received a perfect score of 100 on the 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF). HRCF created the CEI as a roadmap and benchmarking tool for U.S. businesses to support corporate policies and best practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. The firm is one of 545 major U.S. companies that earned top marks this year to receive the “Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion.”
“As a firm, we place a high value on creating and nurturing a work environment where everyone feels welcomed and accepted. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not buzzwords to us – these are principles we strive to incorporate into every facet of our business,” said director Kerry Spindler, Co-Chair of the firm’s Inclusion Advisory Committee. “Goulston & Storrs is known for its collaborative and collegial culture, and DEI is part of the foundation that makes us successful. This is not just good for our employees; it strengthens our relationships with clients and partners who benefit from our diverse perspectives and experiences.”
The HRCF’s Corporate Equality Index assesses companies based on non-discrimination policies across business entities, equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families, supporting an inclusive culture, and corporate social responsibility.
“For well over two decades, businesses have played an important role in furthering LGBTQ+ equality by centering employee needs and voices when it comes to workplace inclusion. While there is much more work to be done, year-over-year growth in CEI participation is evidence of a business community that recognizes the responsibility and value in upholding equity and inclusion,” said RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, Human Rights Campaign Sr Director of Workplace Equality. “Our goal at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation is to work in a spirit of partnership with companies to support the LGBTQ+ community at a time when we face unprecedented legislative attacks, heightened anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and physical violence.”
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign, America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice.