Stikeman Elliott ranked as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers

TORONTO, Feb. 19, 2013 /CNW/ - Stikeman Elliott LLP is very pleased to announce that it has once again been named one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers by Mediacorp Canada Inc., placing as the top ranking law firm on the list. This marks the third time the firm has received this honour.

"Stikeman Elliott is very proud to receive this award, as it recognizes our long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion, both within the firm and our communities," said firm chair, William Braithwaite. "We understand that by continually advancing our diversity objectives, we are creating a dynamic and inclusive work environment for our people that allows us to deliver exceptional service to our clients."

Canada's Best Diversity Employers program recognizes 45 employers from across Canada with exemplary diversity initiatives in five employee groups: (a) women; (b) members of visible minorities; (c) persons with disabilities; (d) Aboriginal peoples; and (e) lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered/transsexual (LGBT) peoples.

"We celebrate the diversity and individuality of our firm members," said Lorna Cuthbert, partner, chair of Stikeman Elliott's Toronto Diversity & Inclusion Committee and co-chair of the firm's National Diversity & Inclusion Committee. "We support our diversity champions and make a genuine effort to engage our employees in an ongoing dialogue around diversity and inclusion."

Diversity has always been a core value at Stikeman Elliott and the firm works collectively across its offices on a wide range of diversity and inclusion initiatives relating to recruitment, retention and leadership development, community outreach and client partnerships. Some of the highlights of Stikeman Elliott's involvement and initiatives include:

• Pathways to Education, a program created to encourage young people from at-risk and economically disadvantaged communities to stay in school
• The Justicia Project undertaken by various provincial law societies, dedicated to the retention and advancement of women lawyers in private practice
• The University of Toronto's Internationally Trained Lawyers Program, which assists internationally trained lawyers seeking to practice law in Ontario, as they go through the accreditation and job search process
• Diversity and harassment training for firm members, including specific training for firm members involved in recruitment and people development
• Annual Multiculturalism, Pride and Canada Day celebrations
• "Hear My Name", the firm's name pronunciation tool that allows firm members to record the correct pronunciation of their names to enhance workplace collegiality and facilitate communication within the firm
• Reflection room, a space that firm members can use for reflection or religious observance during the course of their work day

A full list of this year's winners can be found at www.eluta.ca.

ABOUT STIKEMAN ELLIOTT LLP

Stikeman Elliott LLP is recognized internationally for the sophistication of its business law practice. The firm is a Canadian leader in each of its core practice areas - corporate finance, M&A, banking, corporate-commercial, real estate, tax, insolvency, structured finance, competition, business litigation - and has developed in-depth knowledge of a wide range of industries from banking and insurance to energy, mining and technology.

Stikeman Elliott maintains offices in Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, as well as London, New York and Sydney. The firm was named as one of the Canada's 50 Best Employers in Canada for 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, and as one of the Top 100 Employers in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. It was further recognized in 2010, 2012 and 2013 as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers and in 2010 as among Best Employers for New Canadians. It was also named as a Green 30 organization in 2010, 2011 and 2012, a distinction presented to businesses who display a commitment to environmental sustainability in their operations.

For more information about Stikeman Elliott please visit www.stikeman.com.

SOURCE: Stikeman Elliott LLP