"Facebook Pushes Outside Law Firms to Become More Diverse", 2 Apr 2017

Like other Silicon Valley giants, Facebook has faced criticism over whether its work force and board are too white and too male.  Last year, the social media behemoth started a new push on diversity in hiring and retention.  Now, it is extending its efforts into another corner: the outside lawyers who represent the company in legal matters.  Facebook is requiring that women and ethnic minorities account for at least 33 percent of law firm teams working on its matters...Law firms must also show that they “actively identify and create clear and measurable leadership opportunities for women and minorities” when they represent the company in litigation and other legal matters...A number of general counsels across corporate America are pressing their outside firms to make their teams more diverse — in terms of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and even disability — at all levels of seniority, not just among junior associates...“Law is the least diverse whitecollar profession,” said Jean Lee, the chief executive of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association...“Companies are now using a carrot and stick approach because the carrot approach alone didn’t work,” said Ms. Lee of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association...[Refers to MetLife, HP, and Verizon]