Diversity
Diversity Roundtable • Diversity Initiatives • Dinsmore & Shohl LLP Diversity Scholarship Program
We take diversity personally.
After all, diversity is personal. At Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, diversity isn’t a program. It’s a way of life.
To us, diversity means inclusion – of all sorts of people with all sorts of backgrounds, experiences, opinions and approaches. It means supporting those people – in all that they do, in the office, in the field or in the community. It means developing leaders – and recognizing what’s right for the individual is right for the firm and the community. It means reaching out to people all over the world. It means helping each other.
Diversity means seeking out the best and the brightest with a wide variety of talents. We recruit from a diverse collection of law schools and support programs that enhance the educational experience. Our diverse team of attorneys and professional staff provides clients with the depth and breadth of experience and knowledge needed to tackle the complexities of business today.
Diversity is about relationships – with our clients, our communities and our colleagues. We build our relationships on trust and competence, accepting and embracing differences. We understand the power of diversity.
Diversity means
supporting the individual and the community. Dinsmore & Shohl LLP Partner
Calvin Buford knows that from experience.
In 2003, Calvin approached the firm with an unusual request. He wanted a leave of absence to lead the local Minority Business Accelerator (MBA), a project of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.
“Management recognized it immediately as a win-win situation. It was the right thing for the community, the firm and me,” Calvin recalls. “They didn’t just say it was a good thing to do, they also helped fund the effort, providing a very substantial in-kind contribution. I believe that speaks to the firm’s willingness to think outside the box.”
With Calvin’s guidance, the MBA developed successful relationships between Minority Business Enterprises and local corporations, leading to nearly $200 million in contract awards with regional minority firms in a two-year period. In addition, 11 new high-potential minority firms were launched via strategic joint ventures and acquisitions.
Calvin returned to the firm full-time after more than three years at the MBA. “It was not easy to balance – leading the MBA and remaining an active part of the firm. Dinsmore & Shohl LLP was very supportive in many ways – with administrative assistance, business advice, even executive service on the advisory board,” he adds. “I feel good to be affiliated with a firm that gets it, a firm that makes the commitment to do the right thing.”
Diversity means
developing leaders. Partner
Allison Bungard is one of the rising stars at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP.
Personally and professionally, Allison has found tremendous opportunities to give back to the community while cultivating contacts and expanding her own skills. With support from Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, Allison is Director Elect for the West Virginia State Council for the Society for Human Resource Management and has served as president of the Charleston chapter of the Society for Human Resources Management, in various offices and on the board of directors for the Junior League of Charleston, and as president of the Friends of Avampato Discovery Museum.
“The firm has supported my participation, which has enabled me to meet people. That’s important when you move into an area,” says Allison, a transplant from Louisiana. “It’s part of the reason I stayed in Charleston."
“Dinsmore & Shohl LLP is the best place to be,” she continues. “The firm works with women, helping them become involved in the community and in business. Our professional development program rivals any national firm. They also help with work/life balance. It’s very demanding, but very friendly and very rewarding.”
Allison’s leadership has earned recognition outside the organizations she serves. The West Virginia State Bar named her a Young Lawyer of the Year Award Winner in 2005. The State Journal honored her as a 2006 Generation Next Award Winner.
Diversity means reaching out to people. Partner Michael Hawkins has made it a way of life.
Growing up in a diverse neighborhood of Detroit, Mike has always felt a social responsibility to speak up for those who didn’t have a strong voice. As an attorney involved daily with labor and employment law, he is no stranger to the topic of diversity. In fact, he has sought out opportunities to learn about other cultures.
Mike also serves as a board member of Refugees International and the American Red Cross. He was chair of the National Conference for Community Justice, now BRIDGES for a Just Community. His service takes him all over the world, traveling to places as diverse as Switzerland, Ghana, Israel, Chile and China.
“You can’t help but develop a greater understanding of other people,” Mike says. “And you bring that understanding back to the firm, to everyone you meet.”
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP has a long-standing tradition of reaching out. Mike was the fourth person from the firm to chair the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission. He also served as a board member of the United Way and Community Chest, a position held by numerous Dinsmore & Shohl LLP partners over the years.
“You have to live it for people to believe it. You have to believe it’s the right thing to do,” Mike adds. “Dinsmore & Shohl LLP is an inclusive place, a place where you can feel comfortable, no matter where you come from. We have an environment where you can grow and be nurtured.”