EDI initiatives
Below are a few ways we’re sharing our experience and passion for DEI with others.
The Canadian Law Awards
The Bereskin & Parr Award for Diversity Initiative of the Year, presented at the Canadian Law Awards, is a unique opportunity to promote and celebrate DEI initiatives in law. The award allows us to launch conversations around DEI in the legal profession through complementary webinars and articles in Law Times.
Canadian Lawyer InHouse (CLIN) Diversity & Inclusion Webinar
Sponsoring the Canadian Lawyer InHouse (CLIN) Diversity & Inclusion Webinar allowed us to shine a spotlight on organizations’ evolving EDI-related expectations and their relationship to professional services. The conversation highlighted challenges and best practices around law firms’ EDI policies, practices, staffing, client relationships, and hiring practices.
The Canadian General Counsel Awards
The Bereskin & Parr Diversity Award recognizes law departments that demonstrate an innovative approach to encouraging and promoting diverse and inclusive workspaces, either within their organization or more broadly across their industry.
Women entrepreneurship initiatives
Bereskin & Parr supports various entrepreneurship initiatives for women, including the following sponsorships:
- Accelerator for Women in Entrepreneurship (AWE), an Innovation Factory initiative, supports success for women entrepreneurs through inclusive, educational programming and focused engagement that accelerates results for female-founded and co-founded companies.
Visit AWE website - Beyond Boundaries and HerHalton are both Haltech initiatives. Beyond Boundaries is an accelerator program in Halton Region aimed at advancing women’s economic empowerment. HerHalton is a peer-to-peer community for women who live and/or work in the Halton Region, where members support and empower one another through respectful and honest discussions, collaboration, and networking opportunities.
- ChIPs Toronto Chapter, a non-profit organization founded in Silicon Valley in 2005 (now over 3,700 global members), is designed to advance and connect women in technology, law, and policy. Isi Caulder, a partner at Bereskin & Parr, is on the Leadership Team for the Toronto Chapter launched in 2021.
- ELLA Accelerator for Women Entrepreneurs, a York University initiative, is part of the Entrepreneurial Leadership & Learning Alliance, whose mission is to reduce the gap of gender inequality in entrepreneurship. Bereskin & Parr is proud to be a Gold Sponsor.
- Tech Undivided, a ventureLab initiative, bridges gender and diversity gaps in the tech sector to support women in tech (including female founders, women working in technical roles, and women leaders in tech companies).
- Women In Bio (WIB) Greater Montreal Chapter is an organization whose mission is to promote diversity and inclusion for women in the life sciences and beyond. The Greater Montreal Chapter was launched in 2012 by co-chair and Bereskin & Parr Partner Carmela De Luca. Bereskin & Parr has been hosting and sponsoring the Chapter and events since its inception.
- Female boxer sponsorships. Bereskin & Parr is the proud sponsor of two Montreal-based female boxers. The firm sponsors Kim Clavel who won the world WBC light flyweight title on July 29, 2022 in Montréal. Bereskin & Parr also proudly sponsors Martine Vallières-Bisson to help her to reach her goal and lifetime dream of obtaining a world championship title.