Diversity
We believe diversity is essential to our role as “Florida’s Law Firm for Business,” and that it plays a vital part in the services we provide to clients.
Diversity is critical to our growing and vibrant workplace, and Gunster is committed to recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining the best employees at all levels within the firm. In today’s complex business environment, Gunster recognizes that the definition of diversity goes beyond the traditional measures of gender and ethnicity, and includes also an appreciation for differences in thought, style, capabilities, and leadership. In short, Gunster is committed to hiring the best and brightest employees, fostering a diverse and engaged workforce.
Across all of Gunster’s employees – executives, managers, professionals, and other staff – the firm reflects Florida’s diverse community. Sixty-one percent of Gunster’s family is female and more than 35% of those employees are part of our executive, manager, and professional ranks. Overall, 24% of Gunster’s employees are ethnically diverse, comprised of African-American (5%), Hispanic (16%), and Asian/Pacific Islander or Indian (3%).
Our comprehensive attorney recruiting and mentoring programs, together with broad-based representation in our communities, reflect our solid commitment to fostering a workplace that embraces different races, ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations. The firm’s Diversity Committee – led by ethnically diverse shareholders and associates – works proactively to enhance Gunster’s outreach efforts.
Gunster’s diversity efforts begin at the earliest stage of the attorney recruitment process and includes representation at minority recruitment events both within, as well as outside, the state of Florida. Seventy-one percent of the firm’s Summer Associates who committed to Gunster’s 2011 Summer Program are female law students.
Gunster’s enjoys a high level of employee retention firm wide, which provides a distinct advantage to our clients in the form of continuity of service and preservation of institutional knowledge. Also advantageous to clients is Gunster’s highly visible face in our communities, much of which is the result of our diversity initiatives. And internal training programs focus on individuals’ professional growth and development, giving all of our attorneys the opportunity to fully participate at each stage of a client’s representation. This development of new leadership in the firm is further enhanced through our award-winning mentoring program.
Florida is a vibrant and diverse state. The face of Florida business is reflected in the equally diverse ranks of Gunster’s shareholder and associate attorneys. Our firm’s ethnically diverse attorneys – African-Americans, Asian-Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics – comprise 13% of our professionals and 9% of our shareholders. Firm wide, nearly 31% of Gunster’s attorneys are women, and they, too, reflect diverse ethnic backgrounds. Over one in four shareholders and four in ten associates are women, thus demonstrating Gunster’s commitment to further diversifying our attorney representation as we develop our shareholder ranks. (All percentages are as of June 2011.)
Because of Florida’s vast diversity, Gunster takes pride in employing staff and attorneys who are bilingual and even multilingual. More than 14% of Gunster attorneys speak another language, if not multiple languages, which is a great advantage when working with our international and multicultural clients.
Several of our ethnically diverse attorneys also demonstrate leadership qualities both internally and throughout the community. Examples of such include female shareholders who lead practice areas within the firm and another who holds a top leadership position with Leadership Florida, a statewide organization. Many of our Hispanic and African American attorneys sit on executive boards of prominent organizations such as the Urban League of the Palm Beaches and Cuban American Bar Association. Gunster attorneys are also mentors within the community and have started their own organizations to help those in need.
Gunster has attorney involvement and affiliations with the following organizations:
- American Association of University of Women, Stuart Chapter
- American Israel PAC for Broward County
- American Immigration Lawyers Association
- Bethesda by the Sea – ECW, Episcopal Church Women
- Broward County Women Lawyers Association
- Caribbean Bar Association
- Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association
- Commercial Real Estate Women
- Cuban American Bar Association
- Florida Association of Women Lawyers, Palm Beach County Chapter
- Girl Scout Council of the Palm Beaches
- Haitian Lawyers Association
- Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Palm Beach County
- Hispanic Council of the North Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce
- Hispanic Parents Committee for Children’s Rights in Education
- Japan Society of Florida
- Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, Young Adult Division
- Jewish Women’s Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County
- Latin Builders Association
- Arthur I. Meyer Jewish Academy
- Palm Beach County Bar Association Minority Mentoring Program
- Sindhi Association of Florida
- Southeastern Minority Job Fair
- United Jewish Committee National Young Leadership Cabinet
- United Way/Women’s Way
- Women in the Environment
- Women in Sports Careers
Gunster Diversity Statement
Gunster is committed to fostering workplace diversity. Its attorneys believe that diversity is a necessary element to providing exceptional client service.
Gunster makes it a priority to provide equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, covered veteran status, or any other factor prohibited by law.
Gunster’s workplace diversity commitment is supported by its recruiting and training efforts, its Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy, and its community activities promoting diversity.
