Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Individually and collectively, our lawyers are recognized leaders in DEI initiatives.

Our entire partnership is involved in the firm’s current effort to join the small number of midsize law firms in the U.S. certified as adherents of the Mansfield Rule, a set of guidelines designed to diversify law firm leadership.

One of our partners, the first woman presidentially appointed to be U.S. Attorney in the history of Connecticut, chaired a Connecticut Bar Association police reform task force formed in response to the murder of George Floyd. The task force’s report led to legislative action by the Connecticut state legislature.

We undertake our DEI work with an awareness that we are limited by our own privileged perspectives.

For that reason, we regularly seek insights from diverse voices outside of our firm. Our close relationship with the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity (LCD) is particularly meaningful in informing our DEI efforts. One of our partners currently serves on LCD’s board of directors, and another served as LCD President.

Our DEI efforts inform every area of the firm’s operations. We maintain a large and inclusive DEI Committee. It meets regularly to advance DEI initiatives across firm functions, from recruiting to business development to strategic planning.

FDH’s commitment and heightened attention to DEI has yielded measurable progress. As a participant in the legal, private equity, and hedge fund industries—all of which have struggled to support historically underrepresented populations—we are buoyed, in particular, by the ongoing diversification of our partnership.

We take pride in our progress without being satisfied with it. Instead, we approach our DEI initiative as an effort that requires us continuously to educate ourselves, track our progress to ensure accountability, and take bold actions to keep moving us forward.

DEI Speaker Series

To foster an awareness of DEI-related topics, FDH hosts a regular series of speakers from inside and outside the firm, on subjects ranging from the gender pay gap to the Supreme Court’s decision in Korematsu v. United States, on the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II.

As with all our DEI initiatives, we welcome ideas for this series from everyone at the firm. We are honored to have learned from an impressive range of experts including Connecticut Treasurer Shawn Wooden, former DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg, CT Attorney General William Tong, and CT U.S. Attorney Vanessa Avery.

FDH is pursuing certification for compliance with the Mansfield Rule guidelines for diverse law firm leadership.

FDH has committed to the Connecticut Bar Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Pledge and Plan.

FDH proudly sponsors a scholarship through the Connecticut Asian Pacific Bar Association, in honor of our late partner Justin Shigemii.

FDH partners with the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity in sponsoring an annual CT General Counsel Roundtable on Maintaining a Diverse Legal Environment.