The people of Porter & Hedges are our greatest asset. We believe that diversity enhances the talent, experience and dedication of our work force and better enables us to understand our clients' needs and provide superior service to those clients. We also believe that a more diverse work place enriches the lives of our lawyers and staff and enables us to more fully participate in our community, our profession, and the lives of our families. To that end, we are committed to increasing the diversity of our work force and to equal employment opportunity. Diversity Committee in Action During 2008-2010, the Diversity Committee has continued its initiative to support and retain attorneys from diverse backgrounds and promote participation in activities supporting diversity in our community. As in the past, Porter & Hedges sponsored various diversity events. Ephraim del Pozo, the firm's Diversity Chairman, is President-Elect of the Mexican American Bar Association of Houston and will become its President in March 2010. Partner Joyce Soliman was elected to serve as the 2010 President of the Asian American Bar Association. The Firm's Diversity Chairman, Ephraim del Pozo, presented awards at the 4th Annual Mexican American Bar Association's Texas Scholarship Luncheon benefitting Hispanic Scholarships on August 19, 2009. The firm was a sponsor of the Asian American Bar Association Gala on August 28, 2009. The firm hosted the July 2009 Houston Diversity Council meeting attended by members of the 21 law-firm council at Porter & Hedges' offices. The Diversity Committee sponsored receptions for newly admitted South Texas College of Law minority students and also helped sponsor the Council on Legal Education Opportunity's 40th Anniversary Reception and Awards Program. Porter & Hedges' Summer Associates participated in several diversity events, including the 2008 Houston Diversity Council Summer Associate Reception and the 2009 Houston Bar Association Minority Opportunities in the Legal Profession Committee 11th Annual Summer Associates Luncheon. Porter & Hedges' 2009 Summer Associates attended a firm-sponsored Special Speaker Diversity Luncheon on June 2nd which included a presentation by Ms. Pauline Higgins, General Counsel of Houston Metro. Diversity Committee Mission Statement Assess the Firm's strengths and shortcomings as a firm in which minority lawyers can reach their professional potential and achieve personal and professional satisfaction; Heighten the Firm's appreciation of the variety of backgrounds, personal characteristics and skills that contribute to a successful business and professional organization, and that need to be consciously cultivated for the Firm to flourish; Recommend strategic initiatives to recruit, support and retain attorneys from diverse backgrounds, and promote participation in activities supporting diversity in our community, including the following: increasing the number of women and minority attorneys working at the Firm primarily through recruiting and retention of attorneys; identifying and recommending to the Management Committee minority and women attorney programs, organizations, and recruiting and marketing activities that should receive financial support from the Firm; evaluating diversity initiatives in the legal profession on an on-going basis; setting and measuring benchmarks for achieving diversity at the Firm; and communicating and, where necessary soliciting, visible and fully-committed Management Committee and Partnership support for diversity initiatives both inside and outside of the Firm.