WASHINGTON Ã‚– The Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Inc. (MCCA) has announced the 2010 winners of its Employer of Choices Awards. The 15 recipients were selected from legal departments of corporations across the country and were chosen for demonstrating a commitment to diversity and creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace.

This yearÂ’s Employer of Choice winners are listed by region:

·        South/Southwest: AT&T, Shell Oil Company and Citgo Petroleum Corporation;

·        Midwest: Kraft Foods, Wells Fargo & Company and MillerCoorsLLC;

·        Western: Southern California Edison Company, the Chlorox Company and Synopsys, Inc.;

·        Mid-Atlantic: Glaxo SmithKline, Pepco Holding, Inc. and Capital One;

·        Northeast: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Staples Inc. and MetLife.

Recipients will be honored at regional diversity events sponsored by MCCA during the year.

“At a time when many legal departments are cutting back, and diversity may be less of a priority, these companies are continuing to focus on hiring and developing minority attorneys,” said MCCA Executive Director Veta T. Richardson. “We are proud to name them Employers of Choice for helping to build a stronger legal community.”

Selection for the award is based on several factors, including:

·        Alignment of diversity activities with long-term, corporate-wide strategic initiatives;

·        Commitment from senior management that translates into measurable objectives at the business unit level;

·        Formal programs or policies that value, encourage and enable individual attorney growth and improvement (e.g., mentoring, skills development seminars, etc.).

The Minority Corporate Counsel Association advocates for the expanded hiring, promotion, and retention of minority attorneys in corporate legal departments and the law firms that serve them. MCCA furthers its mission by publishing research on achieving diversity and best practices in the legal profession, honoring innovative diversity programs with its Employer of Choice and Thomas L. Sager awards, and assisting diverse law students through the Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program. MCCAÂ’s work has been recognized with awards from the National Minority Business Council, Inc., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Gay and Lesbian Law Association, and the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Founded in 1997, MCCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and also has a Southeast regional office in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, go to mcca.com

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 Contact:  Diane Nowak-Waring or Court Blatchford, 410-626-0805 or mediarelations@mcca.com