Carlton Fields is honored to receive the “T-Mobile Legal Department Diversity Excellence Award” today at a ceremony at T-Mobile USA’s headquarters in Bellevue, Washington.

The annual award recognizes a law firm with strong associate and equity partner diversity, as well as exceptional diversity programs and policies. T-Mobile Executive Vice President and General Counsel Dave Miller presented the award to Carlton Fields.

"T-Mobile is committed to diversity and inclusion. It is important for us to partner with law firms that share our commitment,” said Dave Miller, T-Mobile Executive Vice President and General Counsel. “We are pleased to recognize Carlton Fields for their programs and initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion."

“Diversity has been a core component of our firm’s culture for many years, and it is particularly gratifying to be recognized by a long-standing client like T-Mobile that shares our commitment to diversity,” said Jim Baldinger, a Shareholder in Carlton Fields’ West Palm Beach office, who accepted the award on behalf of the firm. Carlton Fields has represented T-Mobile in various legal matters throughout the country for more than a decade.

Carlton Fields encourages and rewards exceptional performance and hard work without favoritism or prejudice based on family relationships, gender, ethnic background, or the like. The firm takes great pride in the diversity of the backgrounds and perspectives of its attorneys and staff. The firm’s initiatives to promote diversity include:

• A 360-degree review process through which our attorneys and government consultants rank their practice group leaders on factors that include how well they promote diversity — their effectiveness weighs into their compensation.
• A scholarship program that annually provides two qualifying diverse law students with paid positions as summer associates with the firm, plus $5,000.
• Networking, informal mentoring, and professional development opportunities through the firm’s LGBT, Minority, and Women's Alliances, which work to spur opportunities for these diverse groups within the firm, the legal profession, and the community.

Over the past few years, T-Mobile has developed a process for monitoring and recognizing the work of its top outside law firms on diversity issues. This includes reviewing a detailed annual report submitted by each firm, which measures efforts and success across a wide range of factors.

T-Mobile created this law firm award in 2014 to recognize law firms that understand the importance of diversity and inclusion, like T-Mobile.

About Carlton Fields:Carlton Fields has nearly 400 attorneys and government and financial services consultants serving clients from offices in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New York, and Washington, D.C. The firm is known for its national litigation practice, including class action defense, trial practice, white-collar representation, and high-stakes appeals; its regulatory practice; and its handling of sophisticated business transactions and corporate counseling for domestic and international clients. For additional information, visit www.carltonfields.com. (Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, P.A. practices law in California through Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, LLP.)