J. Warren Gorrell, Jr.
Co-CEO, Hogan Lovells
Headquarters: Washington, D.C.; London
Website: www.hoganlovells.com
Primary Business: Legal practice
Revenues: $1.67 billion
Employees: 5,000
Diversity is Essential to Success
As a top ten global legal practice with 2,300 lawyers operating out of more than 40 offices in the United States, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia, Hogan Lovells—by the very nature of our operation—exemplifies the spirit of diversity.
Diversity is essential to Hogan Lovells’ business success, which depends upon reflecting the diversity of the world around us and that of our client base. My Co-CEO David Harris and I understand that diversity requires hard work and a strong commitment in order to foster a work environment where people of different backgrounds can flourish and work together as one team worldwide. We also know that diverse teams provide the most comprehensive and strategic legal counsel for our clients. In today’s globalized economy, no one group can possibly provide an adequate perspective to address the world’s complex business and legal challenges. That is why we view diversity as fundamental to our firm’s success.
Claudette Christian, Chief Diversity Officer, leads our efforts to promote a workplace that embraces inclusiveness, allowing us to attract and retain the best, high-quality lawyers around the world. Our multi-faceted approach includes: mentoring and professional development programs, diversity awareness initiatives, and affinity groups. Working with clients and outside groups, we also promote careers in the legal profession to ethnically diverse and underrepresented students to ensure that our communities retain and improve their diversity.
We also actively promote gender equality through the umbrella of our Women’s Initiative and are proud of our long history of advancing women within our firm. I am pleased that this year alone, 37% of our lawyers promoted to counsel or partner are women.
In October, Hogan Lovells’ Global Client Forum launched the Women’s Executive Summit, which provided a venue for senior women executives from an array of industries and regions to share insights about today’s critical business issues. The event exemplifies our commitment to providing innovative arenas in which our clients and colleagues can learn and exchange their shared experiences.
The practice of law at Hogan Lovells is, at its heart, based on interpersonal connections and relationships—with our clients and within our firm. By incorporating a strong diversity ethos throughout Hogan Lovells, we ensure that we are able to truly connect with and represent the many communities of our world.
Education: AB, Princeton University; JD, University of Virginia School of Law
First Job: Washing dishes in a restaurant (I was fired after only two weeks when they discovered I was only 12 and thus too young to employ.)
What I’m Reading:Boomerang, by Michael Lewis
My Philosophy:Lead by example.
Best Advice: Look in the mirror: Be rigorously honest in assessing your strengths and weaknesses, and based on that, always be willing and ready to improve.
Family: Wife Cathy, married for 33 years; Three children: Sarah, Courtney, and Michael
Interests: Cycling, skiing, golf, hiking— anything active and outdoors
Favorite Charity: Kenya Education Fund
