Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Networks
At Covington, we believe deeply in the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and strive to put these beliefs into action every day. We recognize that diversity enriches our culture, enhances our work with clients, and strengthens the profession. We believe that an equitable workplace requires that all colleagues have an equal opportunity to succeed. As an inclusive firm, we aim to acknowledge the daily contributions of each individual. We asked members of our DEI networks to tell us more about the networks and strands, their goals, and what they are currently working on.
Luciana Griebel – Associate – Women’s Forum
The Women’s Forum is a firm wide initiative designed to foster greater interaction among women lawyers at all levels of the firm. Through regularly scheduled programs and initiatives, the Women’s Forum provides an opportunity for our women lawyers to network with each other and address issues of common interest, such as career growth, mentoring, business and professional development. The Women’s Forum is organized on an office-by-office basis, with coordination among the offices.
Azumah Cofie - Associate - Multicultural Network
The Multicultural Network (MCN) is a recent strand of the wider DEI Committee that aims to promote ethnic diversity, equity, and inclusion within the EMEA offices. It is effectively a support network for colleagues who identify as racial/ethnic minorities (R/EM), where members share ideas and organise events and activities.
Eddy Eccles – Special Counsel - Disability and Mental Health Strand
The Disability & Mental Health Strand is a really exciting group within the DEI Committee here at Covington. We are a group who meets on a monthly basis to pursue the goals of the subcommittee in a friendly, fun environment. Everyone always brings a lot of good ideas, and great energy and commitment.
Tell us about the goals of the Covington Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Networks
Olivia Scalise Gaspar – Associate - LGBTQ+ Strand
We have three primary goals at the LGBTQ+ Strand: community, education, and recruitment. Our community events are dedicated to bringing the members of the Strand together, to help each of us foster a close network of relationships, and give us the space to discuss issues and events important to us or our identities. Our educational events encourage active allyship through engagement with queer topics and events, and focuses on bringing awareness of the LGBTQ+ community and issues relevant to our community to members across the firm. Our recruitment events promote the visibility of queer people and inclusion at the firm, and seek to normalise bringing one's "full self" to work.
Antonio Michaelides – Special Counsel - Social Mobility Strand
The primary goal of the Social Mobility Strand is two-fold: to provide a support network for those already at the firm from backgrounds where there were obstacles to social mobility, and second to raise awareness of this as a diversity strand, so that those who are less familiar understand the challenges faced by those from less privileged backgrounds and what can be done from an equity and inclusion perspective. I am really pleased with the progress we have made with the social mobility strand and the things we are doing.
We have partnered with two fantastic organizations in the Social Mobility Foundation (SMF) and IntoUniversity on a number of initiatives. Through our partnership with SMF, we hosted eight Year 12 students from a variety of state schools in London. The students undertook a placement which offered the opportunity to learn more about working in a city law firm, whilst also developing their leadership and teamwork skills, using the SMF's ‘Building My Future’ framework. We have participated on IntoUniversity's FOCUS Programme by offering an immersive educational workshop, designed to support the students’ aspirations, attainment and development of key skills that promote success at school and beyond, and delivering various sessions at a number of their centers in London. The focus of theSocial Mobility Strand is more on equity and inclusion than it is diversity.
Eddy Eccles – Special Counsel - Disability and Mental Health Strand
The aim of the Disability & Mental Health Strand is to promote a positive environment possible for people at the firm who feel affected by disability or mental health issues. We do this by designing and coming up with different initiatives, as well as offering a useful point of contact for members of the firm who may have concerns in this sector.
Azumah Cofie - Associate - Multicultural Network
The primary goal of the Multicultural Network (MCN) is to create an inclusive environment and a sense of community in the London office, where all Covington colleagues can come together to explore cultural differences, engage in effective conversations about race and privilege, and foster allyship. Tied to this goal is the MCN’s aim to recruit, retain, develop and promote candidates from ethnic backgrounds.
Tell us about the activities the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Networks and Strands ae working on at the moment
Luciana Griebel – Associate – Women’s Forum
We are developing a video series highlighting the leadership of women in complex M&A transactions. The series, recorded on International Women's Day, is a Q&A with Louise Nash, who leads the firm's EMEA strategy and Catherine Dargan, the head of our global corporate team. The Covington team discusses differences in market practice and market expectation, and ways this can impact the anatomy and risk profile of a deal. You can access the video series here.
Olivia Scalise Gaspar – Associate - LGBTQ+ Strand
We are working with a variety of different diversity initiatives in London to increase the outreach of our group.
We have closed off an immensely successful Pride summer: from organising the screening of an important documentary on queer recognition and queer rights with a filmmaker, to marching at Pride, to participating in training about trans inclusion in the workplace, and finally to attending an unmissable queer play in the West End.
Looking into the coming months, we are organising cross-office events to celebrate the works of queer people of colour in the arts and to raise awareness for anti-LGBTQ+ bullying in schools.
Eddy Eccles – Special Counsel - Disability and Mental Health Strand
At the moment, we are arranging a series of talks to take place throughout the coming year, to raise awareness and promote discussion on mental health issues. We are also hoping to sign up to the Government's flagship Disability Confident scheme in the next few months, which will allow us to access a whole set of new resources and know-how, and to obtain accreditation for the initiatives we are carrying out.
Azumah Cofie - Associate - Multicultural Network
The Multicultural Network’s inaugural events took place for Black History Month, consisting of a conversation with Bazil Meade MBE, creator of the UK’s first gospel community choir, and a lunch and learn session with British historian S.I. Martin.
For more information on DEI at Covington, please visit Cov.com/DEI.
Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is important at Covington
Covington has instituted all the elements of a strong diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)program - the infrastructure, the events, the learning programs, and sustained communications about DEI. Our work is guided by our Strategic DEI Action Plan goals that include: (1) Ensuring DEI is a firm priority and the diversity of our leaders reflects the diversity of our lawyers and professional staff; (2) Recruiting, developing, promoting, and retaining a diverse population of lawyers and professional staff at all levels and across all offices; and (3) Collaborating with clients to increase the representation of women and historically underrepresented lawyers in the profession.
Covington sponsors seven firm-wide affinity groups: Asian Pacific Islander (API), Black, Latino, LGBTQ+, Middle Eastern and North African (MENA), Veterans, and a Women’s Forum. These groups are important elements of our DEI efforts, as they contribute to fostering connections and mentorship among members, facilitating professional development opportunities, and promoting firm-wide education and awareness of the experiences of women and underrepresented individuals. Our Women’s Forum specifically provides members with community and mentorship, while celebrating the achievements of women in the legal industry and beyond. The Women's Forum chapters in each of our 14 offices champion inclusionary practices to support all women at Covington by hosting professional development forums and sponsoring participation in leadership development programs.
Within our London office we have established diversity strands to focus, develop and promote diversity within specific fields. We asked members from across the Covington diversity strands about their journey to law and what it means to work somewhere that values and celebrates diversity.
Antonio Michaelides – Special Counsel - Social Mobility Strand
I never really planned to be a lawyer, or go to university for that matter. Before university, I played tennis professionally and, when I stopped playing at the age of 20 (largely due to injury, but for financial reasons too), I had to pivot. Having grown up in inner city London and having had a lot of friends from certain cultures that place a lot of importance on education and career paths, , it became clear that the "you either need to be a doctor, engineer or lawyer" mantra had rubbed off on me too. It was too late for the first two, given the subjects I had selected to do as A-Levels alongside competing in tennis tours, so law it was.
I was fortunate to secure a number of vacation schemes, and then training contract offers off the back of these,, during my degree and ultimately decided to accept an offer from a Magic Circle firm. It wasn’t until I was over two years’ qualified, and once I had been at two firms, that I found my "home" at Covington. Now, I really couldn’t imagine practicing anywhere else.
Working in a diverse workplace and inclusive means everything to me. We still have a long way to go, but the developments over the last few years have been notable and I am pleased to be a part of it through co-leading the Social Mobility Strand.
Olivia Scalise Gaspar – Associate - LGBTQ+ Strand
I was always hard-working and high-achieving at school, despite struggling with the language I was educated in after moving countries. That was probably why I was also better at Maths than I was at subjects which required mastering the English language. When I was around 15, though, I became heavily involved in debate. After that, law became a more realistic career path for me, as I felt that it shared many of the things I liked about debate: rules, and interpreting them; analysing the arguments on both sides of different questions; and reading and writing.
One of the things that has truly struck me about Covington is the firm's willingness to back and support new diversity initiatives. The success of the initiatives which I have put forward and pushed, both internally and externally, are only as successful as they are because of the importance that the firm recognizes in them. I believe it takes a village, and I really highly value that the firm understands and acts in that way too.
Eddy Eccles – Special Counsel - Disability and Mental Health Strand
I decided to become a lawyer while still at university. The first decision I had to make was whether to pursue a career as a barrister or a solicitor. I'm deaf in one ear and require the use of a hearing aid in my other ear, so I had concerns about trying to become a barrister, because that career involves a lot of listening in old court rooms, which have terrible acoustics (though in retrospect, I now realise that I was far more worried than I needed to be). I originally trained as a solicitor in another firm in the City, and then worked in the Government for a while, before joining Covington. The main reason I joined Covington is because I knew the litigation team from one of my previous jobs. I knew they would be great to work with - plus the quality of work Covington offers is amazing!
The value that Covington places on diversity means a huge amount to me, and completely alters the way I view my job. Covington wants its staff to be at the forefront of making those changes happen, so if you have a good idea, or just want to get involved in existing initiatives, it's really easy to do so. It is so empowering to know that I work at a place where the whole community is committed to challenging itself every day to find new ways to make everyone feel welcome.
Chris Bracebridge - Partner and London Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lead
I tried my hand at being a rock star for a few years after university. When worldwide fame didn't beckon, law came calling… I trained and worked at a Magic Circle firm for quite a few years and then moved into the US law firm sector as a mid-level associate. I came to Covington as part of a team move to help build an international employment law practice - which we've done successfully, with lots of help from many colleagues.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are some of the most important aspects of work for me. Covington is based on values - collegiality, high standards of lawyering, respect for others, dedication to public service, and a commitment to fostering diversity. Being able to work in the DEI space within the firm is tremendously fulfilling and validating; it's fantastic to see the firm becoming ever more diverse each year.
Azumah Cofie - Associate - Multicultural Network
My journey to law is a little unconventional. I obtained an Economics degree in the United States, and initially planned to pursue a career in the financial services sector. However, the summer following graduation, I opened up to my mother about my long-standing interest in law and insecurities I had from having a stammer. With her encouragement, I decided to overcome my fears and pursue the two-year Senior Status law program at Queen Mary University of London. I then attended the 2018 Law Fair where I spoke to the Covington representatives and was immediately attracted to the firm. After that encounter, I applied for the firm’s 2019 Summer Vacation Scheme, and thankfully got a training contract offer, after an enjoyable two weeks at the firm.
A diverse workplace means a lot to me. From my experiences on the vacation scheme until now, I have been fortunate to work in an environment where I can always present my authentic self - as a black male with a stammer who prefers to go by his unique, African middle name as opposed to his English first name. With the firm’s accommodating culture, I am confident enough to portray this identity without fear or inferiority complex.
For more information on DEI at Covington, please visit Cov.com/DEI.