Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox Among Top-Ranked Firms in Law360’s 2020 Diversity Snapshot

Washington D.C. (September 1, 2020) – Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox is proud to be recognized in Law360’s “Diversity Snapshot” for 2020. Based on a survey of over 300 United States law firms, Sterne Kessler ranked fourth for overall diversity and in several specific categories among “Firms with 101 – 250 Attorneys.”

To determine their rankings, Law360 measured diversity data provided by law firms using two factors: the percentage of attorneys of color at the firm and the percentage of equity partners of color. For the higher ranking firms, Law360 also assessed the diversity of the firm’s executive committee or similar management committee and the percentage of recently promoted partners who are attorneys of color. Sterne Kessler ranked among the top ten in each of the aforementioned four categories; see below for the firm’s specific categorical data and placements.

Scoring Categories:

• Minority Attorneys: 38.3% (Categorical rank: #2)
• Minority Equity Partners: 23.5% (Categorical rank: #5)

Non-scoring Categories:

• Partner Promotions Minority Representation: 33.3% (Categorical rank: #8)
• Executive Committee Minority Representation: 33.3% (Categorical rank: #5)

Editors of the Diversity Snapshot note, “While there has been incremental progress, Law360‘s 2020 Diversity Snapshot shows that the ranks of U.S. law firms lack significant diversity, particularly at the top.”

Director Gaby L. Longsworth, Ph.D., co-chair of Sterne Kessler’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee remarked, “We continue to appreciate the many contributions and perspectives that each and every individual attorney and staff person bring to our firm. We strive to continuously improve what we do and how we do it in support of our ever-changing work environment, while giving our absolute best to our clients and each other. Recent local, national, and international events have raised our awareness of areas where we can educate ourselves and make essential improvements to our organization, and we are committed to addressing diversity and inclusion issues in meaningful ways for long-term improvement within our firm, the legal profession, and beyond.”

To compile the 2020 Diversity Snapshot, Law360 reviewed data as of December 31, 2019, from more than 300 U.S. law firms. Firms were required to have at least 20 attorneys to participate and were grouped into four size categories for comparison purposes. The complete 2020 Law360 Diversity Snapshot rankings and methodology are available here and detailed information about the equity partnership rankings is available here. Learn more about Sterne Kessler’s diversity and inclusion here.

About Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox

Based in Washington, D.C. and renowned for more than four decades for dedication to the protection, transfer, and enforcement of intellectual property rights, Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox is one of the most highly regarded intellectual property specialty law firms in the world. Its team of attorneys, registered patent agents, students, and technical specialists include some of the country’s most respected practitioners of IP law tackling innovations across a broad spectrum of industries. The firm’s practitioners hold over 50 masters and over 50 doctorate degrees in science or engineering and represent Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, start-ups, inventors, venture capital firms, and universities in a client service driven environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and intellectually stimulating. Visit the firm online at sternekessler.com.