Engaging Our People: Participation, Belonging, and Purpose
DWT supports a range of structured ways for colleagues to get involved beyond their day‑to‑day roles, including pro bono matters, social impact efforts, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and sustainability work. Through these efforts, lawyers and business professionals contribute their skills and perspectives in meaningful ways. These programs also help colleagues connect with one another while supporting clients and communities. The examples in this section highlight some of the ways our people participated throughout the year.
Engaging Our People: Participation, Belonging, and Purpose
DWT supports a range of structured ways for colleagues to get involved beyond their day‑to‑day roles, including pro bono matters, social impact efforts, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and sustainability work. Through these efforts, lawyers and business professionals contribute their skills and perspectives in meaningful ways. These programs also help colleagues connect with one another while supporting clients and communities. The examples in this section highlight some of the ways our people participated throughout the year.
Pro Bono & Social Impact
At-A-Glance Metrics
107
Pro Bono and Social Impact Days of Service
424
Volunteer Time Off Hours Logged
31,275+
Hours Dedicated to Pro Bono Firmwide
83%
Attorney Participation in Pro Bono
2,437
Participants from DWT and In-House Legal Departments Across 137 Pro Bono Legal Clinics, Educational Programs, and Social Impact Events
Pro Bono & Social Impact
At-A-Glance Metrics
107
Pro Bono and Social Impact Days of Service
424
Volunteer Time Off Hours Logged
31,275+
Hours Dedicated to Pro Bono Firmwide
83%
Attorney Participation in Pro Bono
2,437
Participants from DWT and In-House Legal Departments Across 137 Pro Bono Legal Clinics, Educational Programs, and Social Impact Events
Pro Bono & Social Impact Committees
Attorneys and staff from across DWT’s offices serve on our Pro Bono and Social Impact Committees. These Committees amplify our pro bono and social impact efforts, support and nurture relationships with community partners, advance our pro bono and social impact strategy, and bring their colleagues into this work, all while dedicating their own time and talents to pro bono and social impact efforts.
PRO BONO
SOCIAL IMPACT
Pro Bono & Social Impact Committees
Attorneys and staff from across DWT’s offices serve on our Pro Bono and Social Impact Committees. These Committees amplify our pro bono and social impact efforts, support and nurture relationships with community partners, advance our pro bono and social impact strategy, and bring their colleagues into this work, all while dedicating their own time and talents to pro bono and social impact efforts.
PRO BONO
SOCIAL IMPACT
Highlights
The following highlights reflect the many ways our people showed up, pitched in, and contributed across our responsible business efforts in 2025.
The Human Resources Department prepared Halloween Safety kits for Friends of the Children - LA as part of its retreat.
The Healthcare Practice Group assembled 500 Project Sunshine play kits, which are designed to entertain children who are living in hospitals long-term.
The Energy, Natural Resources & Environmental Practice Group held its second annual pro bono clinic. Ten attorneys and paralegals assisted eight clients to secure work authorization permits.
The firm’s Pro Bono Committee and the Social Impact Committee launched our second annual Do Good Challenge, inviting everyone firmwide to devote one hour to pro bono or social impact work over the course of two weeks. We hosted four pro bono projects and seven social impact events throughout the challenge to optimize participation. Twenty-nine percent of the firm participated in the Challenge, dedicating over 1,650 hours to doing good during the period.
We hosted a career day in the Los Angeles office with the Boys & Girls Club, held in collaboration with the First Generation Attorney Affinity Group.
In collaboration with the LGBTQ+ Attorney Affinity Group and PRIDE Employee Resource Group, volunteers participated in a name and gender marker change pro bono clinic.
Volunteers joined a letter-writing party with the Queer Trans Project held in collaboration with the PRIDE Employee Resource Group.
In response to the LA wildfires, we organized firmwide in-kind donation drives to support the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. As a result of this campaign, 215 lbs. of in-kind donations were collected and delivered to those in need.
DWTers in our New York City, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., offices participated in sandwich-making events to help community members struggling with food insecurity. Across the participating offices, DWT made over 4,165 sandwiches and lunch bags.
Highlights
The following highlights reflect the many ways our people showed up, pitched in, and contributed across our responsible business efforts in 2025.
The Human Resources Department prepared Halloween Safety kits for Friends of the Children - LA as part of its retreat.
The Healthcare Practice Group assembled 500 Project Sunshine play kits, which are designed to entertain children who are living in hospitals long-term.
The Energy, Natural Resources & Environmental Practice Group held its second annual pro bono clinic. Ten attorneys and paralegals assisted eight clients to secure work authorization permits.
The firm’s Pro Bono Committee and the Social Impact Committee launched our second annual Do Good Challenge, inviting everyone firmwide to devote one hour to pro bono or social impact work over the course of two weeks. We hosted four pro bono projects and seven social impact events throughout the challenge to optimize participation. Twenty-nine percent of the firm participated in the Challenge, dedicating over 1,650 hours to doing good during the period.
We hosted a career day in the Los Angeles office with the Boys & Girls Club, held in collaboration with the First Generation Attorney Affinity Group.
In collaboration with the LGBTQ+ Attorney Affinity Group and PRIDE Employee Resource Group, volunteers participated in a name and gender marker change pro bono clinic.
Volunteers joined a letter-writing party with the Queer Trans Project held in collaboration with the PRIDE Employee Resource Group.
In response to the LA wildfires, we organized firmwide in-kind donation drives to support the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. As a result of this campaign, 215 lbs. of in-kind donations were collected and delivered to those in need.
DWTers in our New York City, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., offices participated in sandwich-making events to help community members struggling with food insecurity. Across the participating offices, DWT made over 4,165 sandwiches and lunch bags.
DEI as an Engagement Driver: Building on Our Foundation and Evolving Our Purpose
DEI as an Engagement Driver: Building on Our Foundation and Evolving Our Purpose
With our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, we seek to foster a culture where all talented individuals—including those who are traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession—can have, and can see, paths to success. This vision is built on four pillars: Community, Growth, Education, and Engagement.
COMMUNITY
Fostering a culture that generates a sense of belonging.
GROWTH
Ensuring our professionals have equitable access to opportunities, information, and leadership.
EDUCATION
Generating opportunities to learn to elevate our individual and collective knowledge.
ENGAGEMENT
Collaborating with external stakeholders, including our clients, around our shared commitment.
COMMUNITY
Fostering a culture that generates a sense of belonging.
GROWTH
Ensuring our professionals have equitable access to opportunities, information, and leadership.
EDUCATION
Generating opportunities to learn to elevate our individual and collective knowledge.
ENGAGEMENT
Collaborating with external stakeholders, including our clients, around our shared commitment.
Affinity and Employee Resource Group Events
Our affinity groups and employee resources groups are open to all and host membership meetings featuring internal and external guest speakers. Our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Affinity Group hosted a panel on cultural and family influences in professional journeys, an intergenerational discussion hosted by PRIDE and the LGBTQ+ Affinity Group examined how the experiences of LGBTQ+ professionals vary across different generations, and our Abilities & Allies Employee Resource Group hosted an external speaker focused on understanding disability rights.
Throughout the year, offices and affinity groups organized events that highlighted well-being and inclusion and were open to everyone to attend.
- The Los Angeles DEI Committee hosted a panel featuring women partners and their longtime legal secretaries to discuss the evolution of the profession and the importance of lawyer-business professional partnerships.
- The Women Attorneys Affinity Group held sessions focused on navigating parental, bereavement, and medical leave—combining HR guidance with personal stories from attorneys.
- In Seattle, the Abilities & Allies ERG partnered with the local DEI Committee to host the firm’s third annual Disability Mentoring Day, welcoming participants from Best Buddies and AtWork! for mentorship and workplace exposure.
- The Washington, D.C., DEI Committee also led a firmwide “Taste of DWT” initiative, bringing colleagues together across multiple offices through potluck gatherings and a shared digital cookbook celebrating cultural recipes from across the firm.
Event Spotlight
In February, the Attorneys of Color Affinity Group, LGBTQ+ Attorney Affinity Group, United Shades ERG, and PRIDE ERG collaborated on two open sessions with Managing Partner Jaime Drozd. Our group leadership, Sam Gattone, Vicky Slade, Monica Rodriguez, and Amanda Alcala gathered questions and moderated a conversation about the continued evolution of DWT's commitment. The conversations provided a direct line from affinity group and ERG members to firm leadership and helped set the tone for our 2025 goals.
In May, the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Attorney Affinity Group held an internal panel with Jean Tom, Allyson Bach, and Michael Nguyen, moderated by group co-chair Vandana Kapur, specifically focused on how cultural and family influences have impacted their professional journey.
On September 4, the PRIDE ERG and LGBTQ+ Affinity Group collaborated on a panel and group discussion on Intergenerational LGBTQ+ Experiences. The panel featured Chip English, Barry O’Connell, Michael Nguyen, and Kristina Roth, all of whom shared personal experiences and their thoughts about the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ professionals of different generations, as well as their predictions for the future.
On October 15, our Abilities & Allies ERG partnered with the Seattle DEI Committee to host participants from Best Buddies and AtWork! for its third annual Disability Mentoring Day in the Seattle Office. DWT volunteers provided tours around the office, discussed the variety of roles available at our firm, and helped participants practice their professional social skills. The event was planned and organized by ERG Leaders Beka Anardi, Rachel McMillan-Pratt, Anne Moloney, and Hannah Ramsay.
Spearheaded by the Washington, D.C., DEI Committee, the “Taste of DWT” event in October spanned across several office locations. Designed to bring staff and attorneys together to share food and cultural recipes, live potluck events were held in D.C., Los Angeles, and Portland. Kim Moss and the office DEI committee organized the event in D.C. and shared materials with other offices. The group also collected recipes from almost all offices and has created a digital cookbook to share the recipes firmwide.
The Women Attorneys Affinity Group held a pair of sessions between August and October to address parental, bereavement, and medical leaves at DWT. Both sessions featured Senior Professional Development Manager Miriam Gordon, HR Manager Carrie McIntyre, and HR Generalist Jackie Farias, and focused on navigating various types of leave at DWT. Attorneys Ashley Vulin, Soraya Mohamed, Christie Totten, and group chairs Darby Allen and Thaila Sundaresan also shared personal stories intended to impart information and best practices with group members. Although applicable to our entire firm population, the affinity group recognized that women may disproportionately take a variety of leave types and created an atmosphere of support and community among its membership.
In February, the Attorneys of Color Affinity Group, LGBTQ+ Attorney Affinity Group, United Shades ERG, and PRIDE ERG collaborated on two open sessions with Managing Partner Jaime Drozd. Our group leadership, Sam Gattone, Vicky Slade, Monica Rodriguez, and Amanda Alcala gathered questions and moderated a conversation about the continued evolution of DWT's commitment. The conversations provided a direct line from affinity group and ERG members to firm leadership and helped set the tone for our 2025 goals.
In May, the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Attorney Affinity Group held an internal panel with Jean Tom, Allyson Bach, and Michael Nguyen, moderated by group co-chair Vandana Kapur, specifically focused on how cultural and family influences have impacted their professional journey.
On September 4, the PRIDE ERG and LGBTQ+ Affinity Group collaborated on a panel and group discussion on Intergenerational LGBTQ+ Experiences. The panel featured Chip English, Barry O’Connell, Michael Nguyen, and Kristina Roth, all of whom shared personal experiences and their thoughts about the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ professionals of different generations, as well as their predictions for the future.
On October 15, our Abilities & Allies ERG partnered with the Seattle DEI Committee to host participants from Best Buddies and AtWork! for its third annual Disability Mentoring Day in the Seattle Office. DWT volunteers provided tours around the office, discussed the variety of roles available at our firm, and helped participants practice their professional social skills. The event was planned and organized by ERG Leaders Beka Anardi, Rachel McMillan-Pratt, Anne Moloney, and Hannah Ramsay.
Spearheaded by the Washington, D.C., DEI Committee, the “Taste of DWT” event in October spanned across several office locations. Designed to bring staff and attorneys together to share food and cultural recipes, live potluck events were held in D.C., Los Angeles, and Portland. Kim Moss and the office DEI committee organized the event in D.C. and shared materials with other offices. The group also collected recipes from almost all offices and has created a digital cookbook to share the recipes firmwide.
The Women Attorneys Affinity Group held a pair of sessions between August and October to address parental, bereavement, and medical leaves at DWT. Both sessions featured Senior Professional Development Manager Miriam Gordon, HR Manager Carrie McIntyre, and HR Generalist Jackie Farias, and focused on navigating various types of leave at DWT. Attorneys Ashley Vulin, Soraya Mohamed, Christie Totten, and group chairs Darby Allen and Thaila Sundaresan also shared personal stories intended to impart information and best practices with group members. Although applicable to our entire firm population, the affinity group recognized that women may disproportionately take a variety of leave types and created an atmosphere of support and community among its membership.
DAVIS WRIGHT TREMAINE | 2025 Responsible Business Report
Engaging Our People: Participation, Belonging, and Purpose
Engaging Our Communities Through Pro Bono Leadership
Engaging Clients & Partners: Collaboration for Greater Impact
Recognition: Engagement Celebrated
DAVIS WRIGHT TREMAINE | 2025 Responsible Business Report
