Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
WWHGD is proud of our commitment to diversity and inclusion. We embrace our differences and foster mutual respect for all, understanding that our strength comes from our differences. We are committed to recruiting, training, mentoring, promoting, and most importantly retaining a diverse team of attorneys, law clerks, professionals, paraprofessionals, and support staff.
WWHGD believes that a diverse legal team is a stronger team. This outlook ensures that we approach cases with the benefit of a complex compilation of experiences and perspectives, enabling us to provide our clients with thoughtful and innovative solutions to the complex issues they face.
We have and will continue to support our attorneys in their participation and leadership roles in organizations that support and foster the professional and personal growth of our diverse workforce including:
- American Hellenic Progressive Association (AHEPA)
- African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, Board of Directors
- Arizona Women Lawyer's Association, Board of Directors Member; Membership Committee Co-Chair
- Central Florida Association of Women Lawyers
- Conexx, American Israeli Business Connector
- Ellevate Network, Founding Member and Former President, Atlanta Chapter
- Florida Association for Women Lawyers
- Gate City Bar Association
- Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association
- Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys
- Georgia Association for Women Lawyers
- Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, Women Litigators Section, Founding Member and Faculty Member of Trial & Mediation Academy
- Hispanic National Bar Association
- Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- International Aviation Women's Association
- Iranian American Bar Association
- Los Abogados: Board of Directors (January 2022 – present); Chair of Latina Committee (January 2024 – present); Chair of Civil Rights Committee (January 2023 – December 2023); Chair of Membership Committee (January 2022 – December 2022)
- Las Vegas Latino Bar Association
- National Association of Muslim Lawyers
- South Asian Bar Association
WWHGD's Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Led by Steven Gonzalez and Phillip Smith, WWHGD's Diversity and Inclusion Committee meets regularly to spearhead the firm's inclusion and diversity efforts and demonstrates the firm's commitment through new and ongoing firmwide initiatives. Illustrative examples of initiatives that the firm's committee has led include:
- Sponsorship of and participation in diverse bar associations
- Participation in job fairs and campus recruitment efforts targeting diverse talent
- Regular observances of cultural traditions and heritage months
Collectively, these initiatives help foster a diverse and inclusive culture at the firm.
Diversity and Inclusion in Recruitment
WWHGD acknowledges that building diversity in its workforce begins with recruiting more diverse candidates. WWHGD actively recruits and hires Summer Associates in their Atlanta office from the Southeastern Law School Consortium (formally named the Southeastern Minority Job Fair) for a decade and also participates in the Atlanta Bar Association's Minority & Diversity Clerkship Program. These efforts a making a difference. WWHGD's 2024 Summer Associate class was comprised of 9 out of 14 (64%) associates identifying as either diverse or female.