“At Reed Smith, we have made some great strides in diversity and inclusion,” said Sandy Thomas, Reed Smith’s Global Managing Partner, “but we have more to do. We know that one of the key drivers to our success is ensuring that we recruit and retain a diverse group of attorneys to serve our clients. Marlen is an outstanding addition to our diversity and recruiting teams, and his energy and guidance will be essential to achieving our goals.”
John Iino, Reed Smith’s Global Chair, Diversity & Inclusion, added, “Increasing diversity and strengthening inclusion in the legal profession means we must concentrate on attracting and retaining diverse attorneys. Having someone like Marlen to help us focus and streamline our recruiting nationally will be a great step in ensuring our continued progress on the diversity and inclusion fronts.”
As the hiring partner for Reed Smith’s Houston office, Whitley understands the challenges of creating a diverse workforce. “We’re very proud of the work we’ve done in Houston in connection with diversity,” he said. “Last year, we were recognized as one of only three law firms in Houston to score 100 on the Houston Diversity Council’s Diversity Score Card. I’m excited about this opportunity to not only help Reed Smith, but to push the entire legal profession forward as well.”
About Marlen D. Whitley
Whitley is a partner in Reed Smith’s Global Corporate Group, focusing on corporate and securities transactions. He represents and advises clients in corporate finance, acquisitions, mergers, and large global infrastructure projects. He also prepares public offerings and private placements of securities, and negotiates private equity financings. He has been recognized by Legal 500 and Thomson Reuters as a leading practitioner, and is an active member of the Houston community.
Reed Smith’s Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Beyond Whitley’s appointment, some of Reed Smith’s recent Diversity & Inclusion-focused advancements include:
- In October 2016, the firm appointed John Iino to serve as the firm’s Global Chair, Diversity & Inclusion. In that role, Iino continues to build on the work of the late Deborah Broyles, who led the firm’s diversity initiatives until she passed away September 10, 2016.
- Last month, the firm publicly declared support for ABA Resolution 113 that “urges all providers of legal services, including law firms and corporations, to expand and create opportunities at all levels of responsibility for diverse attorneys.”\
- The firm recently added several 1L diversity fellowships, partnering with clients in Northern and Southern California and Pittsburgh to bring diverse 1L law students to the firm’s summer programs. These new fellowships are in addition to the existing fellowships currently in place in New York, Chicago and Pittsburgh.
- In 2016, the firm renamed its Diverse Scholars Program to honor late partner and Director of Global Diversity & Inclusion Deborah Broyles. The Deborah J. Broyles Diverse Scholars Program provides $20,000 awards and summer associate positions to two law students who have demonstrated academic excellence and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- The firm’s Management Bonus Plan for Office Managing Partners and Practice Group Leaders includes metrics to measure progress on diversity and inclusion goals. These firm leaders will receive regular reports on specific, diversity-related metrics.
- In 2016, the firm established six affinity groups, including those for African Americans (Sustaining and Training African American Attorneys at Reed Smith [STAARS]); Asian Americans; Hispanic/Latino Americans; LGBTQ attorneys (PRISM); disabled attorneys (Looking for Excellence and Advancement of Attorneys with Disability at Reed Smith [LEADRS]); and veterans.
- Reed Smith has provided domestic partner benefits and the "gross-up" pay benefit for LGBT employees to mitigate the impact of US federal law that treats money spent by an employee for his/her domestic partner's medical insurance as taxable income, while that paid for a spouse's medical insurance is not.
- The firm has a vibrant Women's Initiative Network (WINRS) to promote the successful development and advancement of women lawyers.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,700 lawyers in 27 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute-resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, entertainment and media, shipping and transport, energy and natural resources, real estate, manufacturing, technology, and education
U.S.: Century City, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Princeton, Richmond, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Tysons, Washington, D.C., Wilmington
Europe: Athens, Frankfurt, London, Munich, Paris
Middle East: Abu Dhabi, Dubai
Asia: Beijing, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Shanghai, Singapore
