SEATTLE, Wash. (November 9, 2017) - Perkins Coie is proud to announce that it has, for the tenth year in a row, earned the top rating of 100 percent in the 2018 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) and Best Places to Work survey. This is the 16th annual edition of the national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality, which is administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve LGBTQ equality.

Perkins Coie joins the ranks of 609 major U.S. businesses that have also received a perfect score of 100 for their policies covering LGBTQ employees and advocacy for LGBTQ equality.

“Diversity in the workplace is a core value of Perkins Coie,” said Darrin Emerick, Perkins Coie’s Chief Personnel Officer. “We are honored to be recognized again in the annual HRC CEI workplace ranking for our commitment in supporting the LGBTQ community and all the members of our diverse professional family.”

The 2018 CEI rated 1,084 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. To achieve a perfect score and the coveted distinction of being among the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality,” businesses under consideration must have fully inclusive equal employment opportunity policies, provide equal employment benefits, demonstrate organizational LGBTQ competency, evidence their commitment to equality publicly and exercise responsible citizenship.

“At a time when the rights of LGBTQ people are under attack by the Trump-Pence Administration and state legislatures across the country, hundreds of top American companies are driving progress toward equality in the workplace,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The top-scoring companies on this year’s CEI are not only establishing policies that affirm and include employees here in the United States, they are applying these policies to their operations around the globe and impacting millions of people beyond our shores. In addition, many of these companies have also become vocal advocates for equality in the public square, including the dozens that have signed on to amicus briefs in vital Supreme Court cases and the 106 corporate supporters of the Equality Act. We are proud to have developed so many strong partnerships with corporate allies who see LGBTQ equality as a crucial issue for our country and for their businesses.”

Perkins Coie has long been committed to excellence in diversity. For 15 consecutive years, the firm has been on Fortune’s list of “100 Best Companies to Work For.” In 2017, Fortune named Perkins Coie among the “100 Best Workplaces for Women” and the “30 Best Workplaces for Consulting & Professional Services.” In 2016, Perkins Coie became one of the first law firms to publicly support the American Bar Association’s Resolution 113, which aims to promote diversity in the legal profession. The same year, the firm launched an innovative program called Le[a]dBetter® to demonstrate its commitment to business leadership equality; the program, named for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, offers a 15 percent discount on legal services for startup companies that have at least one woman in a senior executive position.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBTQ citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high-value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,200 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.

Media Inquiries: Please email Justin Cole, Head of Media Relations.