“Every gay person must come out. As difficult as it is, you must tell your immediate family. You must tell your relatives. You must tell your friends if indeed they are your friends. You must tell the people you work with. You must tell the people in the stores you shop in. Once they realize that we are indeed their children, that we are indeed everywhere, every myth, every lie, every innuendo will be destroyed once and all. And once you do, you will feel so much better”
- Harvey Milk
Marking the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, Pride celebrations are happening all over the world this summer. New York City alone expects more than three million people will be celebrating, remembering, and honouring the past at over 50+ World Pride events taking place across the five boroughs. Crucial to the community, they are pinnacle moments of unity and open celebration of overcoming adversity, shame, and oppression. While we have come a long way, there is much left to be done.
Diversity, in all its forms, is welcomed and embraced at Kilburn & Strode. Simply put, being yourself at work brings out your best. That’s why we are proud of our involvement with IP Inclusive and with our public commitment to supporting and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in the IP profession. We have our own internal Diversity Forum which is made up of staff and keeps our focus on ensuring we are an inclusive employer.
Our commitment spreads to clients, the work that we do, friends of our firm, the role models we have in place, the contributions we make to diversity in the IP community, and our vendors and suppliers. We asked a broad range of these groups about their own commitments and to show examples of visible, active LGBT+ leaders who are making change in their organisations, communities, and industries. We are humbled that they have taken the time to speak with us, we are proud to work with them and of the work that each one is taking to drive change and inspire pride. Let’s hear from them in their own words on the impact they’ve made or people making a difference.
CIPA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion with Julia Florence, CIPA President & Andrea Brewster OBE, Chartered Patent Attorney & European Patent Attorney, CIPA Council, IP Inclusive leader
An interview with Dominic Houlihan, Director of People, Places & Services, UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO)
An interview with Eifion Morris, Partner specialising in IP law, and the firm’s future CEO, Stephenson Harwood
An interview with Gregory M. Zinkl, Ph.D., J.D., Amgen
An interview with J. Scott Evans, Director, IP & Advertising, Adobe
An interview with Brendan Stephens, Global Creative Director, MOO
Thank you to everyone who took part in this interview series. We are moved by the commitment that they’ve shown to make a difference across their organisations, communities, and industries, and we are grateful for their contributions.
Read more about Kilburn & Strode’s diversity and social impact efforts here. We’re inspired to keep progressing!