On June 4, 2018, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani's Denver Office was the featured firm of Law Week Colorado's article on diversity titled, "Alone at the Top - Diversity initiatives are slow to reach firms' highest positions." The article focuses on the recent elevation of the co-chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee, Franz Hardy, to co-managing partner of the Denver office as being rare among large and mid-sized firms. The article interviews Hardy on the factors that have contributed to the office excelling in promoting diversity.
Hardy points out that in many firms there is no catalyst that requires change within leadership. Currently, in Denver 6.2 percent of partners are minority attorneys, compared to a national average of 8.42 percent. Overall, Denver law firms are lagging when it comes to electing minority attorneys to managing partner or leadership positions. In March 2018, Gordon & Rees separated from the law firms with lack of diversity among its leaders when Hardy stepped into the position of co-managing partner, joining longtime office managing partner John Palmeri in leadership of the Denver office.
Hardy sheds light on the firm's overall approach to creating diversity and inclusion with in the workplace, "It has a forward-thinking mentality rather than a historical set of ideals. The entrepreneurial aspect of the firm tries to find a way to make things work rather than fixate on why it will not work...[The firm] has gotten away from the mindset that tradition doesn't allow something to happen or the viewpoint that how things happened in the past means how they should happen in the future. If you let that go, it lets underrepresented groups have leadership opportunities."
To read Law Week Colorado's article in full, please click here.
Gordon & Rees's Diversity Committee is dedicated to cultivating an environment that values differences and is committed to fostering an environment that supports diversity and inclusion in the workplace. To learn more about Gordon & Rees's commitment to diversity, please click here.
Franz Hardy is a trial attorney with a focus on business and insurance litigation, including commercial disputes, directors and officers liability, coverage, and employee benefits. Hardy is also recognized as an accomplished professional liability practitioner representing attorneys and law firms. He maintains an active state and federal court practice, including handling numerous appeals. Hardy is the current president of the Denver Bar Association. He previously served as chair of the University of Colorado Law School Alumni Board. He is also a past president of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado. Further, as current Chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee, he is responsible for guiding the firm's award-winning commitment to diversity and inclusiveness in more than forty offices. Hardy is a frequent author and lecturer on various topics affecting attorneys and the practice of law, including ethics, privileges, confidentiality, and diversity.
Gordon & Rees is a national litigation and business transactions firm with more than 800 lawyers in 50 offices across the United States. Our lawyers provide full service representation to public and private companies ranging from the Fortune 500 to start-ups. Founded in 1974, Gordon & Rees is recognized among the fastest growing and largest law firms in the country and continues to climb the ranks of both the Am Law 200 and The National Law Journal. Additionally, in 2017 Law360 ranked the firm among the top 50 largest U.S. firms and The American Lawyer ranked the firm among the top 42 on its Diversity Scorecard.