Leading global law firm Baker McKenzie announces their global task force on racial and ethnic diversity that will work across the firm´s 77 offices in 46 countries, with the aim of helping implement and operationalize programmes to advance racial and ethnic diversity.

Some of the planned actions of the task force include overseeing allyship and anti-racism training, sponsorship of Black colleagues and members of other underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, as well as a review of recruitment and client programmes. There will be a close connection to the firm´s social mobility and diverse pipeline efforts, and will help progress other important D&I programmes.

The task force will be led by Miguel Noyola based in the firm´s Chicago office and members include Claudia Benavides (Bogota), Anna Brown (New York), Sunny Mann (London), Anna Mello (Rio de Janeiro), Yoshiaki Muto (Tokyo), Veleka Peeples-Dyer (Washington DC), Joyce Smith (San Francisco), Kate Stonestreet (London) and Constanze Ulmer-Eilfort (Frankfurt).

Constanze Ulmer-Eilfort, Chair of the Firm's Global Diversity & Inclusion Committee commented: "Advancing Racial and Ethnic diversity has always been one of our most important D&I priorities and this Task Force will strive to effect change and to really make a difference. As a Firm we are proud of what we have achieved together on gender diversity and on LGBT+ inclusion. We can and must also make similar progress on racial and ethnic diversity.”

She adds: “Change starts from within, and we must all embrace the need for change together. We are encouraging everyone to learn, reflect and work to become a more active ally. We need to open our minds and our hearts to the experiences of our Black community -- there is so much for us to learn, to understand, and to reflect upon before change happens."