Toronto (Canada) – Fasken Martineau, a leading international business law and litigation firm, announced today that three of the firm’s initiatives were recognized at the 2016 Lexpert Zenith Awards: Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion. Michelle Pockey, The Fasken Martineau Pride Network and The Law Firm Diversity and Inclusion Network (LFDIN) were recognized and celebrated for their leadership in advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and in the communities they serve.
For over two decades, Michelle Pockey dedicated her time to helping hundreds of businesswomen become established, connected and successful. In 1997, she co-founded the Professional Women’s Network (PWN), an organization that helps women in business connect with one another and navigate the unique challenges that female professionals face in advancing their careers. The organization has continued to grow and its Vancouver Chapter now includes approximately 1000 members. In 2015, Michelle was approached by several BC Aboriginal women leaders who asked her to partner with them to create an Aboriginal Women’s Chapter of PWN, which launched in the spring of 2016 and has become the first Aboriginal women’s group of its kind.
The Fasken Martineau Pride Network is the main connection point for the firm’s LGBT initiatives. In 2013, Fasken Martineau announced the adoption of a firm-wide Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) policy supporting each office’s right to welcome the establishment of an LGBT Affinity Group. In response, the Ontario region created the Fasken Martineau Pride Network (Fasken Pride), which represents the issues facing the LGBT community and is actively involved in local and international community outreach. Fasken Pride is also focused on supporting external networks, including Pride at Work, Out on Bay Street, Out in the Capital, and the Ontario Bar Association’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee (SOGIC).
As part of its commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal community, Fasken Martineau is a founding member of LFDIN, a group of Canadian law firms who have agreed to work together to promote diversity and encourage a culture of inclusion within their firms and across the legal profession. Diversity and inclusion are core values of LFDIN members, who believe that valuing and enhancing diversity and inclusion will help them attract and retain the best talent and better serve their clients’ needs.
About Fasken Martineau
Fasken Martineau is a leading international business law and litigation firm. With more than 700 lawyers, the firm has offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Québec City, London and Johannesburg. For additional information, please visit the firm's website at www.fasken.com.