Diversity
A firm that values diversity. Goldberg Segalla knows that diversity is a requirement for business success. Over the past few years, our goal has been to recruit, retain and promote attorneys who reflect the diversity of our society. Our mission is to create a diverse work environment in order to enhance our ability to represent our clients successfully. To achieve this objective, the firm sponsors the annual Success in the City event, chaired by Goldberg Segalla partner Joseph M. Hanna, president of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York. Through our active leadership, we received the BNHRA's Diversity Excellence Award in 2010 and have formed relationships with numerous law schools and associations focused on developing minority and women lawyers. Our leadership places us in the unique position of being able to work to change laws adverse to our clients’ interests.
At Goldberg Segalla, we support the diversity efforts of numerous organizations, including:
- American Bar Association
- Columbian Lawyers Association
- Defense Research Institute
- Federal Bar Association
- League of First Nations
- Minority Bar Association of Western New York
- National Bar Association
- Native American Rights Fund
- National Congress of American Indians
- New York Bar Association
- Seneca Free Trade Association
- University at Buffalo School of Law
- Women’s Bar Association
We are proud to serve in diversity leadership roles in several of these organizations. For example, in addition to serving as President of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York, Mr. Hanna holds numerous diversity-focused chair or liaison positions at the Defense Research Institute. Mary Q. Wydysh, a partner in our Buffalo office, is a member of the Board of Directors for the Western New York Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York. Yadira Ramos-Herbert, an associate in our White Plains office, is Co-Chair of that organization’s Diversity Committee.
Our outreach efforts led to the creation of a comprehensive database of more than 500 minority law organizations throughout the United States. Contact between these organizations takes place in anticipation of bringing CLE and legal programs together. This group of minority bar associations includes both local and national organizations, such as:
- National Association of Women Lawyers
- National Association of Muslim Lawyers
- Hispanic National Bar Association
- Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
- South Asian Bar Association of Philadelphia
- Vietnamese American Bar Association of North Carolina
Firm Culture
Goldberg Segalla’s culture is one that values team spiritedness, collegiality and interpersonal harmony within our working community. We are a firm that believes in diversity in the workplace, and we are proud to offer a professional and positive work environment for each and every member of our team.
Goldberg Segalla is committed to an equal employment opportunity for all individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or any other classification, as protected by federal, state or local law. Equal employment opportunity extends to all personnel practices.
A Talented and Diverse Group of Attorneys
As of February 1, 2011, thirty percent of our partnership includes minority and women attorneys, and thirty-one percent of our attorneys are women.
- Women: 31%
- Ethnic minority: 11%
Diversity can be further expressed within our firm through the many languages and dialects some of our attorneys are fluent in, including Arabic, French, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese, Tamil and Thai.
Diversity Leadership
Goldberg Segalla has a Diversity Task Force comprised of partners and associates from throughout the firm’s various offices. These individuals share a strong commitment to increasing the firm’s diversity, and they use their unique experiences and backgrounds to support and advance that goal.
The Diversity Task Force meets regularly to create programs, schedule events, establish diversity initiatives, set long-term goals, and develop the strategy to recruit and retain people from diverse backgrounds. The Task Force promotes their commitment to diversity both inside and outside the firm, including efforts to reach out to the legal community to increase diversity in the legal profession as a whole.
Diversity Task Force Members
- Joseph M. Hanna, Chair
- Richard J. Cohen, Managing Partner
- Soo-young Chang
- Jennaydra D. Clunis
- Verne A. Pedro
- Latha Raghavan
- Mary Q. Wydysh
Goldberg Segalla’s Diversity Task Force is led by Joseph M. Hanna, a partner in the firm’s Buffalo, New York office. Mr. Hanna’s dedication to diversity is demonstrated in his leadership in various organizations and outreach programs. Mr. Hanna organizes and chairs Success in the City (a diversity networking event), was awarded the New York State Bar Association Outstanding Young Lawyer Award for his efforts to enhance diversity in the legal profession, serves on numerous diversity-related committees, and is a frequent author and speaker on diversity. More information, including links to Mr. Hanna’s articles, may be found by reading more about Mr. Hanna.
If you have questions regarding any of the firm’s diversity initiatives, please contact Mr. Hanna.