Day Pitney recognized by the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity

Day Pitney is pleased to announce it was presented with the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity 2009 Edwin Archer Randolph Diversity Award at a ceremony in Hartford May 6. Prior award recipients have been individuals; Day Pitney is the first organization to be singled out for the honor. In recognition of the award, Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell issued a proclamation officially declaring May 6, 2009, to be "Day Pitney Day in the State of Connecticut."

The award ceremony featured a list of notable speakers, including Connecticut State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier, Carolyn Golden Hebsgaard, Executive Director of the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity, James Willingham, Sr., President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Hartford, U.S. District Court Judge Donna Martinez and Corey Brinson, a former Day Pitney associate. Day Pitney Co-Chairman Jim Sicilian accepted the award on behalf of Day Pitney.

Presented annually by The Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity, the Edwin Archer Randolph Diversity Award is named for Edward Archer Randolph, a Yale Law School graduate who was the first attorney of color admitted to the Connecticut Bar in 1880. Through his service in various public offices, Mr. Randolph was instrumental in promoting the inclusion and advancement of attorneys and other professionals of color in Connecticut.

"It is important for companies to not only embrace a diversified approach to their hiring practices but also to be responsible to their employees and the communities they rely on for business," said Treasurer Nappier. "Some companies resist that type of broad accountability - Day Pitney does not."

Judge Martinez delivered remarks from United States District Court Judge Vanessa Bryant, the chair of the award's selection committee, who could not attend. Judge Bryant's words focused on the firm's longstanding commitment to advancing the role of diversity in the legal profession. "Day Pitney's efforts have not only been the right thing to do, but they have sent the message [that] diversity enriches us all," she said. "We celebrate that tonight. Day Pitney, we salute you."

In his acceptance speech, Day Pitney Co-Chairman Jim Sicilian spoke about how he was uncomfortable accepting an award for what he called, "the good work of other people."

"At Day Pitney it is true that diversity is a firm wide top-to-bottom effort," Mr. Sicilian said. "The key I think is to engage the entire firm -- every lawyer, every staff member."

Among the community-wide accomplishments for which Day Pitney was honored were a $150,000 pledge to the Minority Corporate Counsel Association's 10th Anniversary Campaign, the establishment of a Day Pitney Foundation Diversity Scholarship at Fordham University School of Law (awarded annually to two students from groups historically underrepresented in the legal profession) and for being the first legal employer in Connecticut to sign the Pledge for Best Practices, sponsored by the Connecticut Women in the Law Futures Task Force.

The Lawyer's Collaborative for Diversity also recognized Day Pitney's commitment to diversity with the establishment of a Diversity Committee and hiring of a Director of Diversity and Legal Recruiting, former firm associate Peter Wilson Jr. The firm also has allocated funds for the development of diversity initiatives, such as the Women Working Together Program (WWT®), and established a Professional Recruitment Committee to increase the number of minority attorneys and law students at Day Pitney. The firm releases an annual Diversity Report to demonstrate to its employees the firm's progress in advancing diversity and inclusion.

The Lawyer's Collaborative for Diversity was formed by concerned lawyers to answer the call for diversity and increase the recruitment, retention and promotion of lawyers of color, not only as good social policy, but also as good business practice. The mission of the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity is to unite the resources, energy and commitment of Connecticut's law firms, corporations, public sector entities, law schools and state bar associations with the goal of making Connecticut a more attractive place for attorneys of color and women to practice law and find satisfying professional opportunities.

About Day Pitney

Day Pitney LLP is a full-service law firm with approximately 400 attorneys operating in offices in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Boston, and Washington, DC. The firm offers clients strong corporate and litigation practices, with experience on behalf of large national and international corporations, as well as emerging and middle market companies and individuals. Day Pitney's practice areas include Energy and Utility Law, White Collar Defense and Internal Investigations, Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights and Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation.