Timothy J. Downing
Chief Diversity Officer
Ulmer & Berne LLP
Headquarters: Cleveland, Ohio
Industry: Law
CEO: Scott P. Kadish, Managing Partner
Website: www.ulmer.com
His Credentials: JD, Case Western Reserve University School of Law; BA, Allegheny College
His Philosophy: At a time in history when the principle of equality for all is under assault on a daily basis, now more than ever, it is important to never be afraid to speak truth to power.
In 2019, Ulmer & Berne partnered with consultant William T. Rolack, Sr. of Diversity Best Practices, who assisted the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee refine its strategic plan to bolster D&I efforts. Ulmer also hosted a variety of internal and external educational programs and events designed to promote and celebrate diversity. In addition, the firm sponsored and participated in a number of important external events.
Ulmer also added a number of diverse attorneys to its team and began internally abiding by the Mansfield Rule to boost diversity efforts. The firm also updated its HR forms to ask employees about their gender identities and preferred gender pronouns.
Ulmer’s 2020 goals include creating and adopting new D&I metrics, improving partner participation in D&I events, developing parameters for a mentoring program appropriate for attorneys with all levels of experience, creating implicit bias training for new hires and the entire firm, and creating relationships with schools and recruiters to bolster diverse hiring.
