Lowenstein Sandler has earned a 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2020 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. This is the fourth consecutive year in which Lowenstein has earned a perfect CEI score.

The annually published CEI, now in its 18th edition, is a national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer employees. The 2020 CEI evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices, including nondiscrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. This year, 680 out of 1,059 businesses representing a broad cross section of industries and locations secured 100 percent and inclusion on the foundation’s list of Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.

Of 164 law firms participating, Lowenstein was one of 130 to receive a perfect score in recognition of its commitment to improving the experience of LGBTQ employees in the workplace. The firm offers employees a wide variety of resources and benefits, including:

  • LGBTQ Alliance, which hosts monthly meetings and quarterly, no-agenda lunches that foster understanding; provides firmwide training on LGBTQ issues; participates annually in the Lavender Law Conference & Career Fair; and celebrates Pride Month through education, social, and community service events.
  • Expansive parental leave for opposite-sex and same-sex couples
  • Domestic partner benefits
  • Purposeful sponsorship and coaching
  • Gender-neutral parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child

Lowenstein’s best practices and collective efforts to support diversity and inclusion have been recognized through numerous other accolades, including:

  • Working Mother’s list of 60 Best Law Firms for Women (the sixth time the firm has made the list)
  • Inclusion among WomenInc. magazine’s Top 100 Law Firms for Women
  • New Jersey Institute for Social Justice’s Corporate Leadership Award
  • A Crain’s Best Place to Work in New York City
  • An NJBIZ Best Place to Work in New Jersey (included on the list for eight consecutive years)

The CEI rates companies and top law firms on detailed criteria falling under five broad categories:

  • Nondiscrimination policies
  • Employment benefits
  • Demonstrated organizational competency and accountability around LGBTQ diversity and inclusion
  • Public commitment to LGBTQ equality
  • Responsible citizenship

“We are so pleased to receive this recognition for the fourth year running,” said Donatella Verrico, Chief Human Resources Officer. “One of the firm’s prime differentiators is our steadfast commitment to recruiting and maintaining a robust network of attorneys and staff with varied backgrounds and perspectives. This accolade confirms that we are succeeding in our ongoing efforts to create a professional environment that is diverse, inclusive, respectful, and appreciative of a wide range of points of view. ”

“The impact of the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index over its 18-year history is profound. In this time, the corporate community has worked with us to adopt LGBTQ-inclusive policies, practices, and benefits, establishing the CEI as a primary driving force for LGBTQ workplace inclusion in America and across the globe,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “These companies know that protecting their LGBTQ employees and customers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do–it is also the best business decision.”

Click here to read this year’s full report.

About Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Lowenstein Sandler is a national law firm with over 350 lawyers based in New York, Palo Alto, New Jersey, Utah, and Washington, D.C. The firm represents leaders in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular emphasis on investment funds, life sciences, and technology. Recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and high standard of client service, the firm is committed to the interests of its clients, colleagues, and communities.