San Francisco, CA (January 17, 2012) – Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ:SBUX) recently honored Morrison & Foerster with its third annual Starbucks Excellence in Diversity Award for 2011. The award, sponsored by the Starbucks Company's Law and Corporate Affairs department, recognizes Morrison & Foerster for its work to strengthen diversity and inclusion – both within in the firm and throughout the legal profession.
"Starbucks is committed to upholding a culture where diversity is valued and respected. We feel it's critical to partner with organizations that share the same ideals," said Paula Boggs, executive vice president, general counsel, Starbucks Coffee Company. "We are thrilled to recognize Morrison & Foerster for its long standing tradition of promoting greater diversity by making it an everyday focus in their business."
"Morrison & Foerster is honored to be the recipient of this prestigious award," said Michèle Corash, who accepted the award on the firm's behalf. "We believe strongly in maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment, and are proud to be recognized as an industry leader."
Morrison & Foerster has been consistently recognized for its commitment to promoting diversity, collaboration and inclusion. Since 2001, The Minority Law Journal has consistently ranked Morrison & Foerster as one of the top 10 law firms in the country for diversity. For the past eight years, The Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index has given the firm a 100% Perfect Ranking in their annual report on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality in corporate America. In 2011, MultiCultural Law Magazine ranked the firm second in overall diversity, and included it among the Top 100 Law Firms for Women, the Top 25 Law Firms for Hispanic-Americans, and the Top 25 Law Firms for Asian-Americans. The Advocate named the firm one of the 10 most enlightened employers for gays and lesbians five times in the last six years, the Women in Law Empowerment Forum 2011 recognized the firm for its inaugural Gold Standard Certification, and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley honored the firm with its 2011 Law Firm Diversity Award.