Since its inception in 1946, Broad and Cassel has maintained a philosophy that includes a commitment to diversity. Our belief is that having a diverse workforce makes us a better law firm and enables us to bring a broader perspective to the problems our clients face. Further, by recruiting, hiring, and promoting people of different cultures, backgrounds, beliefs and preferences, the quality of our work life is improved. Today, we strive to keep diversity issues on the forefront and our efforts have been recognized.

In 2012, Broad and Cassel was honored to be ranked among the nation’s top diversity law firms in the 2012 “Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity,” in MultiCultural Law Magazine. Ranked 28th overall on the list of 100 law firms from across the U.S., Broad and Cassel also received accolades in the following specialized lists:

• 1st in the “Top 25 Law Firms for Hispanic-Americans” listing
• 17th in the “Top 100 Law Firms for Women” listing.

Broad and Cassel and its attorneys have also been recognized for our efforts to promote diversity in the community through targeted sponsorships and leadership positions in women's organizations and minority-based organizations. A few examples include:

• Kelly Overstreet Johnson (Partner, Tallahassee office), who has been recognized by the Florida Association for Women Lawyers' Rosemary Barkett Outstanding Achievement Award, Broward County Hispanic Bar Association's Gracias Award for Commitment to Diversity, Tallahassee Women Lawyers Outstanding Achievement Award, and Tallahassee Community College's Outstanding Women of Achievement Award.
• Gabriel Imperato (Managing Partner, Ft. Lauderdale office), who was appointed as co-chair of the National Urban Fellows’ Fort Lauderdale Host Committee for the organization’s 2009 national leadership conference and hosted a reception for the National Urban Fellows (NUF), a national nonprofit and governmental leadership development program for people of color and women.
• Stacey Prince-Troutman (Associate, Orlando office), who serves on the Board of Directors of the Negro Spiritual Scholarship Foundation.
• Peter Schoemann (Partner, Orlando office), who was recently chosen as a finalist in the “Individual Advocate” category for The Beacon Awards, an event formed to spotlight community leaders whose attitudes and actions guide the way in diversity and inclusion.

Many of our attorneys from across the state are also active members of:

• CABA
• Hispanic Bar Association
• George Edgecomb Bar Association (Tampa’s largest predominantly African American voluntary bar association)
• Jewish Federation
• Arthur I. Meyer Jewish Academy
• Jewish Education Commission
• Florida Association of Women Lawyers
• National Association of Professional Women
• Commercial Real Estate for Women (CREW), among other organizations

In addition to these positions and awards, several leadership roles internally are held by women and minorities. Most notably, Patricia Lebow has served as Managing Partner of our West Palm Beach office since its establishment 20-plus years ago. She is also a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee.

Even with the efforts detailed above, we feel that there is still more that can be accomplished on this front. We recognize that continuously promoting diversity is an integral part of our mission to strive for excellence as individuals and as a law firm. To that end, we will continue to seek new and innovative ways to expand our diversity initiatives in the areas of education, recruitment and retention. Through constant assessment and evaluation of how the Firm and its members view these issues, our goal is to make diversity an even greater part of Broad and Cassel’s strategic plan for the future.