2022 Diversity Equity & Inclusion Report | Balch & Bingham

Our Commitment to Moving Forward

At Balch, we embrace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion as core values of the firm. Our dedication to providing excellent client service is rooted in our commitment to cultivating an environment where people of all backgrounds, characteristics, and perspectives are valued for their contributions, skills, and talents. We actively recruit, hire, mentor, develop, advance, and retain a diverse team and foster an inclusive environment that encourages respect, camaraderie, and community for all.

On behalf of Balch & Bingham, we are pleased to introduce our 2022 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Annual Report. Our commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion is unwavering and our work is ongoing. Within the following pages, we highlight several key initiatives across our Firm’s footprint to cultivate a workplace environment rooted in collaboration and teamwork. During 2022, the firm celebrated many successes, including joining the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) and being recognized as a Compass Award recipient; launching an affinity network for our BIPOC lawyers; partnering with our clients and communities to support Minority- and women-owned business leaders to expand their businesses and promote stronger economies; implementing a multi-part DE&I learning series; and celebrating several other initiatives.

As we reflect on the ways in which we are shaping the landscape for DE&I, we believe it is critical for all members of our firm to fully embrace our respective roles in building upon our foundation of success. We must dedicate ourselves to maintaining a dynamic and welcoming culture where all members of the firm are empowered to contribute at their highest level and reach their full potential, because we know that when our people succeed, our firm succeeds.

Fostering a Connected and Supportive Culture Demonstrating Active Leadership Commitment

Stan Blanton Managing Partner

Brandi A. Russell Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer and Director of Talent Management

Partnering with Our Communities

Key Priorities

1 2 5 3 4

Developing and Advancing Underrepresented Lawyers

Strengthening Diverse Talent Pipeline and Representation

Continuing our commitment to maintaining a dynamic and welcoming culture, because we know that when our people succeed, our firm succeeds.

Tashwanda Pinchback Dixon, partner in the Atlanta office and a member of the Labor & Employment Practice, and Irving Jones, attorney in the Birmingham office and member of the Litigation Practice, joined the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) training programs to advance the next generation of leaders.

Tashwanda joined the Fellows Program, designed for diverse midcareer attorneys who have demonstrated promise of high-potential in the legal sector. Irving joined the Pathfinder Program, an initiative designed for diverse, high-potential, early-career attorneys at LCLD Member organizations.

Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer and Director of Talent Management, Brandi A. Russell, was selected to participate in the 2022 Momentum Upward Early Career Program. Founded in 2001, Momentum is a nonprofit organization in Alabama that exists to advance opportunities for women in leadership through intensive training, mentorship and rigorous programming in Alabama. Balch partners Leslie Garrett Allen, Debra Taylor Lewis, Mary Samuels and Martha Thompson are graduates of the Momentum Leadership Program, as of 2022.

The Birmingham Business Journal honored Stan Blanton in the Individual Award category as an Outstanding CEO, an award identifying top executives who are leading the charge in creating work cultures that foster diversity and inclusion, spearheading tangible change within their organization, industry or community.

Pictured L to R: David Miceli, Rachel Olis, Doug Kauffman, Brandi A. Russell, Stan Blanton, Leslie Garrett Allen, Irving Jones, Peter LeJeune

Balch was named a Leader in Diversity by the Birmingham Business Journal in its 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Awards. The firm was recognized in the ‘Outstanding Initiative or Program’ category for the firm’s work in establishing and implementing the firm’s Balch Business Boost program. This category recognizes a specific initiative or program within an organization that has made a measurable impact in advancing opportunities among underserved populations within the community.

At Balch & Bingham, we believe it is imperative that we all work together to tackle systemic injustices and to proactively support those who are forced to navigate and overcome unnecessary barriers to achieving success. The Balch Business Boost program leverages the experience and talents of the firm to help emerging and established minority- and women-owned businesses navigate legal and entrepreneurial challenges to building and sustaining success, ultimately helping these businesses fuel growth, eliminate barriers and spark momentum.

Balch Business Boost client Derek DeAndre’s media exposure has reached new heights after being featured in the January 2023 issue of British Vogue magazine. The HOAM Candle Co. founder was highlighted among other trending businesses in the editorial’s top retail interior list.

Derek has also been featured in other major publications including Refinery29 and Oprah Daily! since becoming a Balch Business Boost client in 2021. Read his story here.

After opening HOAM I knew that connecting with a program like Balch Business Boost could help structure my business in a way that was scalable, sustainable and positioned for growth.”

Derek DeAndre

Derek DeAndre, founder of HOAM Candle Co.

Pictured L to R: Brittany Temple, Brandi A. Russell, Katherine Carey, Meghan Pieler, Angela Luckett, Derek DeAndre, Andie Swartzberg, Anne Kaufold-Wiggins, Tashwanda Pinchback Dixon, Sarah Cash, Brooke Gram

HOAM Candle Co.’s signature candle in the scent “Me Time” Derek DeAndre, founder of HOAM Candle Co., teaches a candle making class to our Birmingham Women’s Initiative.

AND SUPPORTIVE CULTURE

Throughout the year, we create moments for members of our firm to pause and purposefully reflect on our unique history and collaborative success, and build opportunities where each member feels a strong sense of belonging and pride in their identity. To facilitate this growth, we’ve implemented the following programs:

DEI Learning Series

We believe that strengthening the diversity of representation within the firm begins with infusing equity and inclusion into our daily practices. For us, we call upon each member of our team to lend a hand in ensuring that everyone feels a sense of value. To give our attorneys and professionals the resources they need to promote an inclusive culture, we began production of our Fostering a Connected Culture video series. The series of learning modules provides educational resources to empower our team to take an active role in supporting an inclusive culture. The series launched in early 2023 and will continue throughout the year.

Extended our Commemorative Heritage Month Celebration and Special Days calendar.

Fostering a more inclusive culture within our firm means recognizing that there are many cultures that make up our own. Our Commemorative Heritage Month and Special Days calendar includes: Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Women’s History Month (including International Women’s Day), Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, Juneteenth, National Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, and Native American Heritage Month. As part of this initiative, we have launched a DEI Quiz Series to complement our Heritage Months and Special Days calendar, in which our attorneys and staff have the opportunity to further learn about cultures in a more interactive fashion. Participants are able to track their progress in the Quiz Series through our completion badges and group awards. Through these cultural spotlights, thoughtful conversations, and interactive activities, our firm works to continue to celebrate what it means to be diverse.

Hosted Roundtable Conversation to support deeper understanding of our storied experiences and ways in which our collective action can advance DE&I.

In June, Balch hosted a firm-wide educational conversation with Atlanta Office Managing Partner Josh Archer and author and journalist Chris Joyner during which we explored the historical accounts of the trials of Clarence Henderson, a wrongfully accused Black sharecropper who was sentenced to death three different times for a murder he did not commit, and the ways in which the NAACP collaborated with esteemed Georgia lawyers to fight for racial and social justice.

At Balch & Bingham, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture where every person is empowered to reach their full potential.

Pictured L to R: Tashwanda Pinchback Dixon, Josh Archer, Chris Joyner, Brandi A. Russell

LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT

We are pleased to recognize Juneteenth as an official firm holiday.

Juneteenth (short for June 19th), a federal holiday, honors the date in 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, an event longrecognized by many Americans as marking the end of the lawful institution of slavery. To us, this holiday means more than a day off. It is a time in which we will reflect on the meaning of Juneteenth as a second day of freedom. We encourage members of the firm and our communities to actively celebrate Juneteenth – whether that be supporting Black-owned businesses, engaging with organizations that promote racial and social justice, or joining local celebrations across the nation.

The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

As we promote active leadership engagement, we were proud to join the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), an organization of more than 400 corporate general counsel and law firm managing partners who are committed to promoting a more open and diverse legal profession. The organization’s action programs are designed to attract, inspire and nurture the talent in society and within law firms across the country, thereby helping a new and more diverse generation of attorneys ascend to positions of leadership. By producing tangible results, LCLD works to promote inclusiveness within law firms. Stan Blanton, managing partner, serves as Balch & Bingham’s representative to the LCLD.

The Leadership Council for Legal Diversity named Managing Partner Stan Blanton a Leader at the Front, an honor given to those who are publicly committed to incorporating diversity and inclusion into organizational changes that are meaningful and measurable.

The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and Balch share a common pursuit – to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce among those serving in the legal profession. Balch strives to make an impact and foster an inclusive environment within our firm, our profession, and the wider community. We are honored to be recognized with the Compass Award by the LCLD, and I am happy to serve alongside others as a Leader at the Front.”

Stan Blanton

Partner

Stan Blanton, Managing

LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT

Tashwanda Pinchback Dixon, a partner in our Labor and Employment practice, was selected as one of “Atlanta’s Top 100 Black Women of Influence” by the Atlanta Business League. This annual list, published since 1994, honors Black women in the metro Atlanta community who have reached senior-level positions within their profession, are leading entrepreneurs in their industry, or have attained the ability to influence large public bodies politically and in government.

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council

The firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council works to shape the firm’s commitment to maintaining a foundation where all members possess a sense of belonging and an opportunity to contribute at their highest level and to support efforts to increase representation of marginalized groups. Some highlights of the Council’s work includes:

• Received Executive Committee approval for 50 hours of billable credit annually for significant leadership or participation in diversity, equity and inclusion-related activities and events. This policy not only emphasizes the value of work to advance DEI goals, but also ensures that those who dedicate time to these efforts, who are often from underrepresented groups, receive the appropriate credit for their work.

• Implemented new hiring practices to support the firm’s DEI goals. As part of this effort, we have adopted a model that focuses on proactively identifying needs, expanding our reach when sourcing candidates, and maintaining consistent hiring procedures.

• Reestablished its partnership with the Magic City Bar Association (MCBA), an organization (based in Birmingham, Alabama) that promotes and facilitates the professional advancement of minority attorneys and provides a forum for discussing and addressing wide variety of community issues and concerns. Since reestablishing this important partnership, the firm has hosted events between both MCBA members and Balch attorneys with law students.

• Enhanced the firm’s voluntary self-identification disclosure form to expand demographic categories, including race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and veteran statuses, and created a tracking system to better understand workforce demographics and increase participation in client and industry-related diversity surveys.

Tashwanda Pinchback Dixon, Partner

STRENGTHENING DIVERSE

PIPELINE AND REPRESENTATION

Balch’s dedication to providing excellent client service is rooted in our commitment to recruiting and developing diverse teams – comprised of talented people with different backgrounds, viewpoints and skill sets – where each member feels valued and empowered to contribute at their highest level.

Diversity-focused Recruiting Activities and Events

Balch regularly participates in diversity-focused pipeline and recruiting events. Some examples include:

• Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholars Program

• Networking and roundtable sessions at several institutions, including Alabama, Cumberland, Howard, Mississippi College, University of Mississippi, Stillman College, Vanderbilt, and Washington University.

• National Black Pre-Law Conference

• National HBCU Pre-Law Summit & Law Expo

• Southeastern Minority Job Fair

• Southern Region of the National Black Law Students Association (SRBLSA) Panels

• University of Alabama School of Law’s Pre-Law Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) Program

• Howard University School of Law 1L Networking Reception

Susan B. Livingston Boot Camp for Success

On July 21-22, 2022 Balch & Bingham hosted the firm’s 11th annual Susan B. Livingston Boot Camp for Success. This two-day program is designed to equip aspiring and incoming law students with the necessary tools to succeed in law school and throughout their professional careers. Boot Camp participants gain a better sense of the law school classroom experience; receive practical tips and advice from judges, in-house counsel and leaders from a variety of backgrounds; network with Balch attorneys; and, learn tips to enhance their academic professional success while maximizing law school opportunities. The program focuses on attracting promising students from groups historically underrepresented in the legal profession and from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as students facing other significant barriers to entering the legal profession.

After 10 years, the program now includes more than 500 alumni. Watch the Boot Camp video here.

Pictured L to R: Demarcus McGee, Madison Field, Robert Humphrey, John Banks

LCLD 1L Scholars

Serving as Balch’s 2022 LCLD Scholar provided me with the opportunity to connect with a plethora of attorneys, who have all made a strong commitment to making our legal profession more diverse in every aspect! Being introduced to these amazing individuals has reassured me that I have a place in this profession, and I have supporters who truly care about my development as a professional.”

Joe Curry 1L Summer Associate, Birmingham

I am extremely grateful to have been named an LCLD Scholar. As I matriculate from a law student to a lawyer, I will seek to pay it forward in the same way that was done for me. This is necessary to ensure the legal community continues to move forward instead of backward.”

Garett Eldred 1L Summer Associate, Atlanta

Being an LCLD Scholar has impacted my law school career by giving me an increased sense of confidence in my capabilities. Working at Balch & Bingham this summer was an opportunity that exceeded my expectations. I’ve gained realworld experience, mentors, and friends that I will always be grateful for.”

Nina Hylton 1L Summer Associate, Montgomery

Garett Eldred, 1L, Atlanta

Joe Curry, 1L, Birmingham

Nina Hylton, 1L, Montgomery

DEVELOPING AND ADVANCING

UNDERREPRESENTED LAWYERS

Affinity Groups

Women’s Initiative

At Balch & Bingham, we work to build and expand opportunities for growth through active affinity networks for our lawyers of color (Balch BLOCC) and women lawyers (Women’s Initiative).

Balch’s Women’s Initiative has been a driving force in Balch’s commitment to DEI for more than a decade. This group, actively supporting women attorneys through cross-office friendship, mentorship and sponsorship, leads a robust women’s mentoring program that fosters opportunities for career growth and advancement.

Our Women’s Initiative also works to highlight and address the complex and intersectional issues facing women in the workforce, and commits to helping women achieve the many versions of lasting success. Through this initiative, this group has hosted numerous networking receptions with women clients; lunch discussions aimed to further cultivate business and professional development skills; and, events with Balch alumnae.

“Through our Women’s Initiative, we celebrate not only the women who came before us, but also the success and incredible talent of all of the women –lawyers and professionals – on Team Balch.”

Mary Samuels

Kye C. Handy, attorney in the firm’s Jackson office and member of the Litigation Practice, was named to the Mississippi Business Journal’s 2022 Top 40 Under 40 class. This recognition is one of Mississippi’s most prestigious awards programs, identifying 40 of the state’s dynamic men and women who have distinguished themselves before reaching their 40th birthday. Honorees have made significant contributions to Mississippi’s overall economic progress and play active roles in moving the state’s economy forward.

Kye Handy, Attorney

Mary Samuels, Partner

DEVELOPING AND ADVANCING UNDERREPRESENTED LAWYERS

Affinity Groups

Balch BLOCC (BIPOC Lawyers, Opportunities, Culture and Connection)

More recently, Balch launched its second affinity group, Balch BIPOC Lawyers Opportunities, Culture and Connection (Balch BLOCC). Balch BLOCC actively supports Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) lawyers through monthly meetings that aim to foster professional development and cross-office mentorship. BLOCC also highlights the unique challenges facing racially and ethnically diverse communities and promotes increasing and retaining the number of racially and ethnically diverse groups within the firm and throughout the legal profession.

The BLOCC initiative has hosted numerous recruiting activities and events. These few initiatives include networking and roundtable sessions at Alabama, Cumberland, Howard, Mississippi College, University of Mississippi, Stillman College, Vanderbilt, and Washington University; panel sessions as part of the National Black Pre-Law Conference and the National HBCU Pre-Law Summit; and, presentations for the Southern Region of the National Black Law Students Association (SRBLSA).

Watch the Balch BLOCC video here.

“Through Balch BLOCC, we work to highlight the unique challenges facing racially and ethnically diverse communities and promote increasing the number of racially and ethnically diverse groups within the firm and throughout the legal profession.”

Tashwanda Pinchback Dixon, Chair of Balch BLOCC

To me, Balch BLOCC is all about visibility, awareness, and progress. Balch BLOCC is a unique organization that highlights the strengths of Balch’s lawyers who come from underrepresented communities. It is comprised of a coalition of minority lawyers in Balch’s offices across the county, all working together to promote not only the firm’s continued success but also the personal and professional growth of its employees. For younger lawyers like myself, Balch BLOCC serves as a network for opportunity, support, and advancement. It not only recognizes different perspectives and opinions but truly welcomes and values them.”

Chris Caudill, Balch BLOCC Member

A few members of Balch BLOCC at the inaugural Balch BLOCC Summit in Atlanta.

Chris Caudill, Attorney

PARTNERING WITH OUR COMMUNITIES

Supporting the regions where our firm operates is a decades-long legacy within Balch & Bingham. In 2022, the members of our firm worked tirelessly to extend our commitment to DE&I beyond our workplace. We continue to drive DE&I and make a difference in our communities everyday.

Top row, left to right:

Members and allies of Balch’s Women’s Initiative donated to the YWCA of Central Alabama in honor of International Women’s Day.

Members of the firm’s Jackson office gifted books to the Isable Elementary School and read to students on Read Across America Day.

Pictured L to R: Kye Handy, Fred Smart, Kelly Julkenbeck, Luwanna Jones-Smart, Walter Boone, Bea Tolsdorf, Tara Ellis

Members of the firm’s Birmingham office attended the 2022 Magic City Bar Association Scholarship Banquet. The firm has been a longstanding platinum sponsor of the event.

Pictured L to R: Doug Kauffman, Nick Brown, John Banks, Lee Johnsey, Kelsi Long, Steven Burns, Ian Burt, Lauryn Smith

Bottom row, left to right:

In partnership with the Magic City Bar Association, Balch hosted a Fall Networking Mixer to foster connections between current law students and attorneys in the Birmingham area.

Pictured L to R: Stan Blanton, Brandi A. Russell, Joel Caldwell, Sidney Jackson

Members of the firm’s Atlanta office decorated Halloween baskets for PAWkids.

Pictured: Brittany Temple

Attorneys and professionals of the firm’s Jackson office compete at the 2022 Red Beans and Rice Festival at the Mississippi Museum of Art.