June 1, 2017
At Osler, we are committed to supporting diversity and inclusion in our policies and our practice. We embrace our individual differences and strive to provide an inclusive, supportive and collaborative professional environment in which all of us can bring “our full selves” to work and achieve our full potential.
As part of our ongoing commitment to diversity, Osler is proud to partner with BMO for the third straight year to co-host a cocktail reception in celebration of Pride Toronto 2017 and Pride Month, which kicked off June 1. The annual cocktail reception, which will be held June 22, exemplifies our strong ties with BMO, and our commitment to working with our clients to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including LGBTQ equality. Our guest speaker will be Nicki Ward, a human rights advocate who came out as transgender two decades ago while working in the financial services industry. Nicki has conducted diversity and inclusion training for thousands of people, and has helped create benchmark diversity policies across Canada. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the 519 Community Centre, which supports LGBTQ communities in Toronto.
We are proud to be a leading advocate for the LGBTQ community through a variety of initiatives driven by our Diversity Committee, which was formed in April 2010. Osler’s Pride Network, an employee resource group led by Douglas Rienzo and Brandon Kerstens, supports Osler legal professionals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and their allies, through professional development and networking. Osler is also a lead sponsor of Start Proud (formerly Out On Bay Street) and a member of Pride at Work.
For the second straight year, Osler was named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers (2017), highlighting our continued dedication to providing initiatives that foster diversity, often in collaboration with clients as partners, to support the communities we serve. To further demonstrate our commitment to diversity, we released our inaugural Diversity at Osler: 2016 Year in Review [PDF] report, which highlights all of our diversity initiatives – internally, within the community and within the legal industry – that are actively being supported at Osler.
Learn more about our dedication to sponsoring and participating in community programs and events that promote diversity and inclusion.