Crain’s Chuck Soder, who analyzed the data, reported that the increase in female partners was driven by “small gains” at firms outside of the region’s Top 10, which are as follows, with number of (total partners / female partners / minority partners) in parentheses:
1) Jones Day (60 / 12 / 1 )
2) Baker & Hostetler (93 / 21 / 2)
3) Benesch (82 /13 / 5)
4) Tucker & Ellis (59 / 12 / 5)
5) Thompson Hine (67 / 13 / 3)
6) Calfee Halter & Griswold (69 / 11 / 2)
7) Squire Patton Boggs (43 / 9 / 2)
8) Ulmer & Berne (46 / 12 / 1)
9) Roetzel & Andress (48 / 9 / 2)
10) McDonald Hopkins (42 / 3 / 0)
While these top firms employ fewer attorneys, overall, than they did in 2008 — they evidently never fully recovered from the Great Recession — they also employ fewer female partners (115 today, down from 122 in 2008) and fewer minority partners (23, down from 31), a discouraging trend.
These are striking statistics. The median number of minority partners at the region’s top 40 law firms is one. Only two of the top 40 firms employ fewer than 10 local partners, yet 16 of the top 40 don’t have a single partner who’s nonwhite.
White men make up 75 percent of all partners at the Top 40 firms, via Soder’s analysis. And if you’re a white male attorney at one of these firms, “there’s a 64 percent chance that you’re a partner.”
There are only two minorities who serve as their firm’s top local executive: Himanshu Amin, managing partner at Amin, Turocy & Watson; and Fred Nance, global managing partner at Squire Patton Boggs. Nance, though, has always punched above his weight class.
There was a good deal of fuss, last month, about a speech by Jon Pinney at the City Club in which he challenged the region’s leaders to come together to repair an economic development sector in disarray. The most durable news item from his speech, however, was his failure to identify a diverse crop of emerging leaders. Of the eight economic development leaders he called out by name to take charge, all were white men.
Pinney sidestepped questions in the City Club’s Q&A on the topic, agreeing with those who challenged him that the quote unquote “alignment process” must be inclusive. He said he was merely naming the existing leaders in the economic development community. He had no role in selecting them. The blame for leadership homogeneity could be placed at the feet of the boards.
Alas. Cleveland’s institutional boards are overwhelmingly made up of business executives: the presidents, vice presidents and partners at banks, regional corporations and law firms. These are dudes much like Pinney himself, who enjoys board memberships at the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation, Destination Cleveland, the Front Exhibition Company, the Rock Hall, and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Pinney was also an executive committee member of the 2016 RNC Host Committee and a co-author of Cleveland’s winning bid.
At only 42, Pinney is the managing partner of Kohrman Jackson & Krantz, which is #25 on Crain’s annual list of the region’s largest firms. At Kohrman, Pinney actually does wield the requisite influence to determine the makeup of his firm’s leadership. Of the 22 partners there, five are female. (With 23 percent female partners, this is actually near the high end of the Top 40, where the vast majority count female partners in the 15 – 25 percent range.)
*Correction: According to Kohrman Jackson & Krantz, after recent hirings and the promotion of a female associate last fall, the firm now employs seven female partners out of a total 25 locally.*
The total number of minority partners at Kohrman Jackson & Krantz, however, is zero.
Where is the fuss about this egregious lack of diversity, one wonders? Where is the outrage at McDonald Hopkins, a corporate law firm in the region’s Top 10 with only three females and zero minorities as their top attorneys? What about Jones Day, the region’s largest firm, with only one nonwhite partner out of 60?
Crain’s, to its credit, included questions about minority hiring on its survey for the first time this year. But the list has received precious little coverage. Likewise Soder’s analysis. When Soder Tweeted out his story and an accompanying graphic Monday morning, it didn’t garner a single like or retweet.
This article appears in Jul 4-10, 2018.
This is supposed to be shocking news. The data presented is consistent with the mindset of Cleveland, not only within the legal community, it crosses into the advisory (consulting) and political arenas. For example, the Mayor’s staff (city of Cleve) and the County Executives office are not gender nor racially balanced based upon the geographical demographic composition of the greater community.
In essence, what this story is presenting is that these law firms are basically stating that their are no well rounded and qualified minorities or women to move up into the decision making, leadership and financial food chains of these firms. Take a closer look at the county executives staff. Why is there an absence of minorities. Take a look at the mayor’s staff. For example, his two top public health leaders are white women. The same can be said for the safety and law director. A white male and another white woman. I guess Frank just couldn’t find or select a qualified Black man or woman.
When you pay top dollar for representation, you want to prevail. There is no room to advance any other agenda or the consequences could be very severe.
Thats why you get a successful establishment white guy…. so you can win.
Nobody is going to be their future on the black woman who deserves a chance. No matter how capable or even better, than the white guys.
If Jewish still counts as white.,,,
The best defense lawyers in Cuyahoga County are Black. Unfortunately many defendants dont realize this until they begin their perp walk after being convicted. Sadly this applies to Black defendants as well. Look at those who risked their freedom by hiring white name attorneys whose courtroom skills were severly lacking. Just ask Nate Gray, Jeff Johnson, Emmanul Onuwar, Steve Terry and Lance Mason among others who thought white lawyers were the answer to prayer. And then look at Jimmie Dimora and Frank Russo. They would have done better hiring an experienced Black lawyer. Whats Dimora get? 28 years? Defendants in public corruption cases did much better when they hired Black lawyers.
What does the comment Nance, though, has always punched above his weight class. I dare say one would never use this when describing a white male. Perhaps this is the (one of many) root of the problem.
Who or What is described as a minority, for this article? neither article says. Someone of Native American, Filipino, African, Hispanic/Latino, Asian Indian, Caribbean, Korean, Pakistani, Asian or European descent? YES, this is a long overdue tough conversation. WE as Northeast Ohioans need, want & deserve better details from or journalist. What i’m saying is, “BETTER DETAILS” it’s not just BLACK VS. WHITE. Stop it! Lets start to have a real conversation.