About Us: Diversity

Diversity Committee

In recent years, corporate clients across the United States have begun to demand that law firms become more diverse. While McGuireWoods has a solid history of supporting diversity, that has resulted in numerous awards recognizing the firm’s efforts, senior management decided to take another step to ensure the firm remains strong in this important area.

The committee’s primary mission is to support the firm's Strategic Plan that calls for McGuireWoods to develop a national reputation for the success of diverse lawyers. The committee plans to enhance the firm’s current programs supporting all lawyers regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, ability, religion or sexual orientation.

“This is such an important area, we want to thoroughly analyze what additional action we as a firm should take to fully support the careers of minority and female lawyers,” said Richard Cullen, McGuireWoods chairman.

The Executive Committee appointed Bob Burrus, chairman emeritus of McGuireWoods, to serve as chair of the new Diversity Committee. Other members include: Kim Cacheris, a labor and employment partner in Charlotte; James Gelman, a debt finance partner in New York; Michael Graff, a public finance partner in Tysons Corner; Sidney Kanazawa, a complex products liability partner in Los Angeles; David Pusateri, an energy and environmental partner in Pittsburgh; and Jackie Stone, a partner in mergers and acquisitions, securities and corporate services in Richmond.

“I believe that the future success of McGuireWoods in many ways lies in our ability to attract and retain superior diverse lawyers,” Bob Burrus said. “We need to make sure our associates are getting the mentoring they need to succeed, that all of our lawyers are given support for their practices, and that our client teams reflect the firm’s diversity.”