Diversity

Diversity and inclusion at Smith Anderson means celebrating the variety of experiences and backgrounds that strengthen our firm culture, while reflecting the communities and clients we collaborate with. As a law firm with a significant public profile, we recognize that we play a pivotal role as a voice of change and influence, and work with intention to ensure that we are making consistent, action-oriented contributions that advance D&I within our firm, the legal profession and the business and local communities that we are so proud to serve.

Awards and Recognition

We are honored that Smith Anderson’s commitments to D&I have been publicly acknowledged with several awards and recognitions. Triangle Business Journal named our firm one of its 2022 Leaders in Diversity award winners and named Management Committee Chair Amy Batten and Diversity & Inclusion Committee co-chair Sharita Whitaker to its 2022 and 2023 classes of Women in Business list, respectively. Consulting firm The Diversity Movement honored Smith Anderson as one of five East Coast law firms that "do it right" in leading and advancing diversity and inclusion, not just in the legal profession, but throughout the community. Smith Anderson also received the Wake County Bar Association’s inaugural Equity Champion award and the Diversity & Inclusion award from North Carolina and South Carolina Lawyers Weekly.

Actionable Commitments

We challenge ourselves to not only “talk the talk,” but to demonstrate actionable commitments to D&I as a pillar of our strategic plan and through firm policies. A few key highlights of these efforts include:

There is much more work that needs to be done on this front by the business community at large, and, for our part, we continuously work to be intentional in all of the decisions we make to ensure that D&I is considered at every turn.

Mansfield Certification Plus

In September of 2021, Smith Anderson joined the 2021-2023 Midsize Law Firm class of the Mansfield Rule, a program that empowers law firm’s efforts to recruit, retain and promote an even more diverse team of attorneys. The Mansfield Rule aims to boost diversity in leadership by broadening the pool of talent through “consideration goals” – not quotas – for leadership roles, hiring and business development opportunities.

Smith Anderson not only met 100% of the applicable categories for base Mansfield certification, but also met and surpassed 60% of the Mansfield Rule’s “Diversity Milestones,” achieving Mansfield Certified Plus status. We are extremely proud of this milestone and will continue to work to meet and exceed the expectations and requirements of this certification.

Hear from our people in the video below on their perspectives on diversity at Smith Anderson and our commitment to cultivating a workplace where everyone is respected and valued. 

    • "The lawyers are incredibly responsive, acutely aware of the urgency of matters and never fail to deliver. They understand not only our business but also our culture and team dynamics."

      Client quotation as published in Chambers USA
    • "The team provides top-end talent, experience and quality of work."

      Client quotation as published in Chambers USA
    • "Their work is excellent. The timing, responsiveness, negotiation quality, personality, thoroughness and cost management are all beyond expectations."

      Client quotation as published in Chambers USA
View All News
Jump to Page

This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and improve functionality. To learn more, you may view our Privacy Policy. By continuing to browse Smith Anderson's website, you are accepting our use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy.