The Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s 2006 Survey of Fortune 1000 Minority General Counsel presents a vivid picture of diversity in the upper ranks of the legal field. The 56 minority general counsel at the Fortune 1000 firms, an increase of 10 since MCCA’s 2005 report, account for just 5.6 percent of all general counsel in those firms, the survey shows. Of the 56, 31 are African-American, 16 are Asian American and 9 are Hispanic. In the pages that follow we profile five African-Americans who are partners in law firms. Below is a breakdown of high-ranking minority attorneys at Fortune 500 and Fortune 501-1000 firms:
Fortune 500
- 32, or 6.4 percent, of general counsel are minorities, an increase of 4 since MCCA’s 2005 report;
- 23, or 4.6 percent, are African-American, an increase of 4 from 2005; 6, or 1.2 percent, are Asian-American, an increase of 2; and 3, or 0.6 percent, are Hispanic, a decrease of 2;
- 26, or 81.3 percent, of minority general counsel are men and 6, or 18.7 percent, are women. Among African-American general counsel, 18 are men and 5 women; all 6 Asian American general counsel are men; and 2 of the 3 Hispanic general counsel are men.
Fortune 501-1000
- 24, or 4.8 percent, are minorities, an increase of 6 since MCCA’s 2005 report;
- 8, or 1.6 percent, are African-American, a decrease of 1; 10, or 2 percent, are Asian-American, an increase of 5; and 6, or 1.2 percent, are Hispanic, an increase of 2;
- 16, or 66.6 percent, of minority general counsel are men; 8, or 33.3 percent, are women. Of the 8 African-American general counsel, 7 are men; of the 10 Asian American general counsel, 6 are men; and of the 6 Hispanic general counsel, 3 are men.
Sharon Y. Bowen, partner - Latham & Watkins L.L.P., New York City [3]
By Marcia Reed-Woodard
David A. Crichlow, managing partner - Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman L.L.P., New York City [4]
By Angela Johnson Meadows
Darrell S. Gay, partner - DLA Piper U.S. L.L.P., New York City [5]
By Angela Johnson Meadows
Elizabeth D. Moore, partner - Nixon Peabody L.L.P., New York City [6]
By Angela Johnson Meadows
Kenneth G. Standard, partner - Epstein Becker & Green, P.C [7].
By Soroya Brantley