V&E Earns 100% Score on 2021 Corporate Equality Index, Named a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality” for Tenth Year

The CEI is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. V&E joins the ranks of 767 major U.S. businesses that earned top marks this year.

The CEI rates companies and law firms on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

• Non-discrimination policies across business entities;
• Equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families;
• Supporting an inclusive culture; and,
• Corporate social responsibility.

“From the previously unimaginable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to a long overdue reckoning with racial injustice, 2020 was an unprecedented year. Yet, many businesses across the nation stepped up and continued to prioritize and champion LGBTQ equality,” said Alphonso David, Human Rights Campaign President. “This year has shown us that tools like the CEI are crucial in the work to increase equity and inclusion in the workplace, but also that companies must breathe life into these policies and practices in real and tangible ways.”

V&E is dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ workplace equality. In 1997, the firm became the first Texas-based law firm to offer same-sex partner benefits. Since then, V&E has actively championed LGBTQ+ attorneys and initiatives by providing gender-neutral parental leave and transgender medical coverage; an LGBTQ+ affinity group; related educational programs; LGBTQ+-focused recruiting through law schools and the National LGBT Bar’s Lavender Law conference; national organizational sponsorships including with Lambda Legal; and pro bono work supporting LGBTQ+ organizations and individuals. Additionally, V&E is currently participating in the Mansfield Rule Certification to further enhance opportunities for LGBTQ+, women, and other diverse attorneys.

“Our strong commitment to fostering an inclusive culture at V&E has been integral in obtaining this decade-long recognition from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation,” said Matt Dobbins, V&E partner and head of the firm’s LGBTQ+ Alliance. “We know there is always more we can do to evolve and be more inclusive each year, and we are grateful for the HRC’s excellent work in helping us and other employers identify new policies and practices that support our LGBTQ+ employees and community.”

The full CEI report is available at www.hrc.org/cei. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, and queer people. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses and American Lawyer’s top 100 revenue-grossing law firms.