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White & Case llp Named a Top Firm for Diversity
White & Case has been recognized as one of the ten most diverse US law firms by the
Minority Law Journal’s 2008 Diversity Scorecard. The Diversity Scorecard is an annual survey
of 254 US law firms. White & Case was ranked sixth overall this year, with 22.5 percent of
the Firm’s US lawyers being non-Whites, including Asian, Black, Hispanic and other racial
minorities. We also received a No. 6 ranking for the highest percentage of minority partners
(12.5 percent) and a No. 2 ranking for the most Hispanic-American lawyers (75).
In many markets, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom, clients expect us to
offer them a diverse team that can serve the needs of our clients’ diverse organizations. Many
consider our commitment to diversity, and our efforts in this area, to be a critical factor when
choosing a law firm.
This award is important because it recognizes our leadership in workplace diversity. In addition,
it is one of the rankings used by The American Lawyer to determine its annual “A-List” of elite
US law firms.
“Workplace diversity is a business imperative. We are committed to building a diverse
workforce to better represent our diverse community of clients throughout the world,”
said M. Elaine Johnston, White & Case’s executive partner for diversity.
Drawn from a survey of the nation’s largest and highest-grossing firms, the Diversity Scorecard
included the 250 biggest firms as ranked by The National Law Journal, as well as four firms
that made The American Lawyer’s Am Law 200 but did not make the NLJ 250. The numbers
are based on detailed demographic information about each firm’s attorneys, including an ethnic
breakdown. In addition, Minority Law Journal sent its own stand-alone survey to firms to
determine the number of minority lawyers working in their US offices, and also asked firms
for the first time to describe their diversity efforts.
“The Firm has long been committed to diversity, and we are proud to be publicly recognized
for our efforts,” said Maxine Williams, White & Case diversity manager. “We’ve made a lot
of progress and are committed to continuing to foster a culture that maximizes opportunities
and incentives for all minorities to achieve their full potential while contributing to the success of
their clients and the Firm.”
For more information on White & Case’s diversity program, visit www.whitecase.com/diversity.
DIVERSITY NEWSLETTER
SUMMER 2008
In This Issue...
White & Case Named a
Top Firm for Diversity
A Message from the Executive
Partner for Diversity
Minority Lawyers Initiative
Interview with Yvette Valdez,
Chair of the Hispanic Affinity Group
Get Involved in Affinity Groups
Supporting the Leadership
Enterprise for a Diverse America
Asian Pacific American
Diversity Symposium
Culture Series—Doing Business
in Southeast Asia
Preparing High School Students for a
World of Possibilities
Speaking Up on Diversity
At the Firm
Recent and Upcoming Events
White & Case llp
1155 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
+ 1 212 819 8200
www.whitecase.com

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A Message from the Executive Partner for Diversity
In the past few months we have seen many developments on the diversity front at White & Case. Most recently, we were
given a top rank in the Minority Law Journal’s 2008 Diversity Scorecard, ranking 6th in the United States for overall diversity
among the largest 254 firms in the nation. We are extremely proud of this achievement as it is a reflection of our dedicated
efforts to increase the diversity of our lawyers and further enable us to effectively represent our diverse community of clients
around the world.
Last fall we launched the Minority Lawyer’s Initiative by holding a two day conference in Armonk, New York. The goal of
the Initiative is to create and implement strategic programs aimed at producing long-term results in the recruitment, retention
and advancement of minority lawyers at the firm. Participation rates were high, with some 90 minority lawyers attending from
our offices around the world. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive with many participants responding to the Firm’s
recognition of the issues facing minority lawyers by becoming more active in our diversity efforts and spearheading many
new projects themselves.
Through our affinity groups we have seen an increase in lawyer-driven diversity programming and participation in outside
diversity events. Examples of this include an LGBT Affinity Group sponsored presentation entitled “Firm Benefits and the
LGBT Community,” participation by members of the Black Affinity Group in a panel at the annual Paul Robeson Conference
at Columbia University Law School, and hosting of a quarterly networking event called “Cafecitos” for New York based Latina
lawyers by the Hispanic Affinity Group. In April, White & Case hosted the inaugural NAPABA Diversity Symposium which was
spearheaded by partner, Asian Affinity Group member and former NAPABA President, Sylvia Chin.
Hugh Verrier, Chair of the Firm, has been a constant supporter of our diversity efforts. In addition to Hugh’s participation in
the Minority Lawyers Initiative conference, he recently attended the Call to Action summit in Arizona. The purpose of the
summit, which brought together nearly 150 managing partners from the country’s top firms and 100 chief legal officers from
Fortune 500 companies, was to have a candid results-oriented dialogue from which participants would leave with concrete
strategies for improving law firm diversity.
Globally, we have seen a marked increase in the number of client surveys requesting information about our diversity efforts
and the demographic make-up of the lawyers staffed on the requesting clients’ matters. This increase in client requests for
information emphasizes the importance of diversity as not only an internal firm initiative, but as a business imperative. In
furtherance of our diversity efforts I would like to see a continued and increased ownership of our diversity mission by all
of our lawyers and staff. As a firm, we continue to make great strides toward diversity and inclusion and must continue to build
upon diversity as one of our strengths.
M. Elaine Johnston
Executive Partner for Diversity
2 SUMMER 2008

Minority Lawyers Initiative
In November 2007, the White & Case Diversity department held the inaugural Minority Lawyers Initiative conference in Armonk,
New York to discuss the advancement of minority lawyers within the Firm and the issues that minority lawyers deal with on a
day-to-day basis. The Initiative aims to advance the Firm’s programs and policies on recruitment, retention and promotion of
minority lawyers throughout our network.
Nearly 90 lawyers from across the global
network gathered in New York for this
conference, which is believed to be the
first of its kind hosted by a law firm. The
event kicked off with a cocktail reception on
October 30 at the New York office, where
all the New York partners welcomed the
participants. Once situated at the IBM
Learning Center in pristine Armonk, NY, the
conference was opened with remarks by
Maxine Williams, Manager of Diversity
Programs and M. Elaine Johnston,
Executive Partner for Diversity. Maxine’s
introduction touched on the impetus for
the creation of a diversity initiative at
White & Case both from within the Firm
and, in part, from the expectations of our
client base.
The conference’s keynote speaker was Byron Auguste, worldwide Managing Director of McKinsey’s Social Sector office. Byron
spoke to the question of “How to Build a Successful Diversity Initiative” and then opened up the floor to an abundance of questions
from conference participants.
In his view, a mentality open to continually shaping the way diversity is handled is needed in order to succeed in an environment of
diverse, global clients and firms. He told the story of how the diversity program began at McKinsey in the 1990s as the brainchild of
a young black consultant. Since then, the diversity group at McKinsey has had much success and great support for three reasons:
the diversity mission correlates with the values and mission of McKinsey; the people involved are very committed to the program;
and the concept and initiative strengthens every level of McKinsey’s work.
Kantha Rattay (Johannesburg) lifted the curtain on what it is like to live and work in South Africa in her presentation “Employment
Equity and Black Economic Empowerment Issues in South Africa” and Magdalene Bayim-Adomako (London) shed light on
diversity programs and developments in the UK in her talk “Diversity in the English Business Context.”
The main work of the participants was conducted in breakout groups which aimed to unearth the issues that are seen on a daily
basis in the perception and inner workings of the Firm and to propose ways in which to bring about change, including identifying
change agents or owners among the attorney population to ensure follow-through of these proposed plans. Topics such as career
advancement, retention and recruitment were among the host of subjects discussed.
Conference participants were pleased to hear from Hugh Verrier, Chair of the Firm, who emphasized the value that an initiative such
as this brings to the Firm as a whole.
Distinguished White & Case Alumni Cecilia O’Brien Lofters and Priscilla Almodovar spoke of their own journeys to success in the
partnership and beyond.
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Interview with Yvette Valdez, Chair of the Hispanic Affinity Group
What is the Hispanic Affinity Group?
The Hispanic Affinity Group was formed a year ago to provide White & Case Latino associates, who share the same cultural
background, a forum in which to interact and network with colleagues in New York as well as in our various offices. The group offers
a platform to identify and address particular interests or needs for our professional development, and gives us the opportunity to
communicate our concerns to management. We recognize that it’s important, especially early in one’s career, to establish contacts and
interact with other lawyers around the network.
What are the goals of the Hispanic Affinity Group?
Our goal is to support Latino associates in their professional development
and career networking. We work to raise the profile of White & Case
within the Latino legal community by sponsorship and direct participation
in Latino organizations. Additionally, we aim to encourage the recruitment
and retention of Latino lawyers and law students.
The Hispanic Affinity Group enables us to develop social and business
relationships and find role models or mentors at our other offices.
Rudy Aragon from our Miami office has been very supportive of the
group and has served as an important mentor to me. This is certainly
a relationship that would not have been cultivated as easily without
the Hispanic Affinity Group.
How has the group helped with recruiting?
Last October, we organized a minority recruiting event at the trendy Spice Market restaurant that was open to people of color and
the LGBT community. We had an impressive turnout and the feedback was so overwhelmingly positive that we are planning to host
another minority recruiting event later this year. We take a proactive approach to on-campus recruiting by reaching out to the Latino
Law Student Associations and finding opportunities to speak on-campus about what it’s like to work at White & Case. We’ve also
teamed up with the Black Affinity Group for on-campus visits in the fall.
White & Case has recently been involved with the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA).
How did this relationship evolve?
The Firm has been a very big supporter of the Hispanic National Bar Association. This past March, we sponsored the HNBA
13th Annual Mid-year Conference and National Moot Court Competition. I was the Program Co-chair for the Conference Planning
Committee, and with the Firm’s support, we also produced the conference program. Additionally, White & Case associates
served as judges for the Moot Court Competition. The attendees at the conference were Sonia Zeledon, Luisa Cetina and
Gabriella Jijon. The Firm’s involvement with the HNBA has significantly raised the profile of White & Case within the Latino
legal community. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship that we have with the HNBA—the Firm gains exposure to the Latino legal
minority community, and HBNA benefits from the Firm’s support and special White & Case guest speakers.
How did you get involved with the Hispanic National Bar Association?
Gabriela Jijon, Jonathan Ng, Luisa Cetina and Yvette Valdez
The Diversity Committee sponsored my attendance at the annual conference in Puerto Rico last October. I had such a great experience
meeting lawyers from other firms who shared the same cultural background. I formed some great relationships and still keep in contact
with many of the people whom I met last year. My involvement in the organization is very important. The support and network of
the HNBA not only services my professional development, but also provides a strong community of minority lawyers who, like the
Hispanic Affinity Group, can address our particular interests and needs, not only as lawyers but as members of a minority community.
SUMMER 2008

What do you envision for White & Case’s Hispanic Affinity Group this year?
We will assist Recruiting with minority recruiting efforts and reach out to the summer associates so that they are aware of the affinity
groups at the Firm. We recently hosted the spring “Cafecito,” a networking breakfast for Latina women lawyers where attendees
gathered at our offices to meet and network. It was a great opportunity to meet other Latina lawyers who work in all types of
backgrounds and we were pleased to have Duane Wall address the group and reiterate the Firm’s commitment to Latina lawyers
and to our Latin American practice.
Get Involved in Affinity Groups
Affinity groups have been created through lawyer initiatives and supported by the Firm in recognition of the fact that certain
groups have particular interests and gain strength through supportive networks of similarly placed people. The establishment
of these groups, among other things, promotes lawyer involvement in shaping and directing the Firm’s recruiting, professional
development and retention efforts.
Affinity Groups typically focus on a characteristic such as race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation or identification.
=The existing groups are:
n Asian-American Affinity Group
n Black Affinity Group
n Flexible Work Arrangement Group
n Hispanic Affinity Group
n LGBT Affinity Group
n Parents Affinity Group
Please contact Maxine Williams to get involved in any of these groups or if you wish to get another group started. The Firm is
prepared to support these lawyer-driven initiatives by facilitating meetings and activities that foster your professional development.
Supporting the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America
White & Case is proud to support the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA),
a not-for-profit organization committed to developing the leadership potential of exceptional
public high school students from socio-economic, racial and ethnic backgrounds, that are
underrepresented at the country’s leading colleges. Through LEDA’s Scholars Program,
Karen Ansong joined the Firm as an intern who assisted Maxine Williams on the Firm’s
diversity initiatives for the 2007 – 2008 school year. Since Karen’s ambition is to become a
corporate lawyer, this internship was a perfect fit.
A native of Ghana, who came to the US over two-and-a-half years ago, Karen focused all
of her energy on her education and career. Last year, she was chosen as a LEDA Scholar,
a program through which she is offered AP classes, mentors and assistance throughout
the college application process. Last summer, she participated in an eight-week intensive
academic/leadership training program at Princeton University, which encompassed ethical
leadership, philosophy, democracy and activist citizenship. In the fall, she will be attending
Middlebury College.
Karen Ansong
5

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Asian Pacific American Diversity Symposium
The New York office recently hosted the National Asian Pacific
American Bar Association’s (NAPABA) and the NAPABA Law
Foundation’s (NLF) symposium on Asian Pacific American diversity
in large law firms.
Bringing together leaders from corporations and large law firms, the
day-long event drew more than 100 attendees, of which roughly
70 percent were partners and the rest were managing partners, hiring
partners and diversity managers of major law firms. Hugh Verrier
kicked off the symposium with welcoming remarks and also served
on a panel covering the “Current State of Asian Pacific Americans
in the Legal Profession: Barriers to Advancement.”
Participants divided into breakout groups led by facilitators including
Jean Shimotake, to brainstorm ways to retain and advance APA
associates and to assist junior APA partners in their development to
firm leadership. There was also a provocative discussion about the
disproportionate lack of APAs in the partnership ranks of large law
firms relative to their representation at the associate level.
The symposium received overwhelmingly positive feedback from
attendees. Some of the comments follow:
“Hugh Verrier’s presence and personal commitment to advance
APAs in his firm is a powerful model for other firms to follow.”
“The entire day was masterfully organized, had fantastic attendance,
provided an encyclopedia of insights and knowledge and reflected
the exemplars of the profession. It was a gift!”
A member of the Symposium Leadership Team and past president
of NLF, Sylvia Chin, moderated a panel discussion on “Success in
Inclusion, Retention, Advancement and Promotion of APAs—What
Works.” She noted that in the New York office, there are 11 APA
partners and 50 APA associates. The percentage of partners is on
the higher end compared to other law firms and the percentage of
associates is comparable to many other firms in the area. She said,
“We can continue to improve APA diversity in the law firms. It’s a
two-way street—firms have to do their part and APAs have a role also.”
6 SUMMER 2008

Culture Series—Doing Business in Southeast Asia
In February, the Asian Affinity Group kicked off a new series of
diversity events with a seminar on “Doing Business in Southeast
Asia: An introduction to Singapore and Indonesia.”
“Doing Business in Southeast Asia” provided an introduction to
the traditions and business etiquette of Singapore and Indonesia.
Presenters included partners Sylvia Chin and Troy Alexander, as
well as associate Sam Tzi Yong Sim. Held in the New York office,
the seminar was also available by videoconference for all of our
US offices.
Preparing High School Students
for a World of Possibilities
Participants had the opportunity to sample a colorful buffet
of authentic Singaporean and Indonesian dishes.
The turnout was very impressive, with many participants
expressing interest in attending future Culture Series events.
On November 10, 2007, White & Case was featured on WNBC-TV for the Firm’s involvement in Cristo Rey New York High School’s
Work-Study Program. The video footage included a visit to the New York office, where the manager of the Managing Clerk’s Office
JoAnn DiSanti and Cristo Rey student Grenny Frias, who is in her third year of working at the Firm, were in the spotlight.
This year, we brought in eight bright and ambitious students from Cristo Rey New York High School: Valerie Felix, Daniel
Guerrero, Mykaella Rhame, Wilson Moran, Grenny Frias, Maria Calderon, Juan Taveras and Jaqueline Garcia. They came
to work at the New York office five days a month and were given the opportunity to gain valuable on-the-job work experience while
earning money towards their high school tuition.
The students rotated through four departments under the supervision of: JoAnn DiSanti, Barbara Soo Hoo in Finance/Accounting,
Ali Iannuzzo in Recruiting/Professional Development and Noreen Condon and James Allen in Human Resources—all of whom were
handpicked to act as mentors to these students by Chief Administrative Officer Rick McKenna, who was instrumental in getting the
Firm involved with the program nearly four years ago.
To view WNBC-TV’s coverage of Cristo Rey, visit: http://nyccmwb001/media/wnbc.wvx

Spectrum
Speaking Up on Diversity
In recent months, Diversity Manager Maxine Williams has been very active in speaking
about diversity through her participation in various key panels. Highlights include:
n “ Communicating and Executing Diversity Initiatives in a More Traditional Firm Culture:
Methods for Achieving Firmwide ‘Buy-In,’” at the 6th National Forum on Law Firm Diversity,
held May 14 – 16, at the Jumeirah Essex House Hotel in New York. This panel covered
diversity and sensitivity training, monitoring diversity, tailoring buy-in initiatives and evaluating
diversity programs.
n “ Successful Diversity Initiatives from the Private Sector,” a panel discussion at the Canadian
Department of Justice’s conference on “Renewal and Culture Change: Fresh Perspectives
on Employment Equity and Diversity,” held on March 26 in Ottawa in commemoration of the
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
n “ Careers in Law” panel at the Manhattan Theater Lab High School on February 29 where
Maxine answered questions by high school students and delivered an inspiring message
that encouraged personal responsibility, choices and their consequences, self-confidence
and drive—and how this will help students surpass significant hurdles to success in law.
n “ A Lesson in Peacemaking and Peace-Building: The Qualities and Skills of Women Leaders,”
a panel sponsored by Lawyers Without Borders, which explored how everyday women
can be a part of peace processes whether on a local, national or global level. Maxine
spoke on behalf of the Firm, and associates Marika Maris, Elina Bergert, Yara Tajo and
Gabriela Jijon also participated in shaping the event.
At the Firm
James Earl Jones was the featured speaker at the ongoing White & Case
Diversity Speaker Series at the New York office on October 23. Mr. Jones
discussed “Why Are We Still Talking About Race?”
White & Case llp is a limited liability partnership registered as such in the State of New York.
© 2008 White & Case
Editor’s Note
We welcome your comments and suggestions.
If you have special achievements or news that
you would like to share, please contact:
Armilene S. Coronel
Communications Manager
+ 1 212 819 8603
acoronel@whitecase.com
Recent and Upcoming Events
The Diversity group’s event calendar has
been packed with interesting speakers
from a variety of backgrounds. Below
is a list of past and upcoming events.
For more information on upcoming
events, contact Maxine Williams or
Amber Shavers.
February 11, 2008
Willie Brown
Former Mayor of San Francisco
February 26, 2008
Kathleen Turner
Award-winning actress
February 29, 2008
Doing Business in Southeast Asia
March 19, 2008
Ed Koch
Former Mayor of New York City
April 1, 2008
NAPABA Diversity Symposium,
held at White & Case
April 1, 2008
Suvir Saran
Acclaimed chef and author
April 18, 2008
Jazzing It Up at White & Case
May 7, 2008
General Ricardo Sanchez
Former Commander of
Coalition Forces in Iraq
May 19, 2008
Terry Jones
Monty Python member, film director
June 9, 2008
Cynthia Wade, 2008 Academy Award
winner for Best Documentary Short
July 30, 2008
Craig Venter
Leading scientist and innovator
JULY 2008 | 03398