3M Named Employer of Choice by MCCA

3M Named Employer of Choice by Minority Corporate Counsel Association

Washington, DC − The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) has named the law department of 3M Company as its 2011 Employer of Choice Award winner for the Midwest Region. 3M Legal Affairs was selected from law departments of corporations across the Midwest for demonstrating a commitment to diversity and creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace. The company will be recognized at MCCA’s Diversity Honors Gala in September.

3M Legal Affairs has a long-standing policy of building and maintaining an inclusive culture. Forty-six of 3M’s 92 lawyers in the United States are women or lawyers of color. The company was also one of the first organizations to support “Diversity in the Workplace – A Statement of Principle”, as well as “A Call to Action – Diversity in the Legal Profession.” As a signatory, 3M affirmed its commitment to supporting diversity in the legal profession and pledged to select and work with law firms that share this commitment.

“3M is known around the world as an innovator, and that holds true in their commitment to diversity,” said MCCA Executive Director Veta T. Richardson. “They take a leadership role in hiring and developing minority attorneys, which is helping to build a stronger legal community. 3M has truly earned the title of Employer of Choice.”

Marschall I. Smith, 3M’s Senior Vice President Legal Affairs and General Counsel, will accept the award for his company. “3M is deeply honored to be named an Employer of Choice,” he said. “Diversity and inclusion must be a way of life for all Americans. I am privileged to be part of a company where those values are part of our culture. All of us at 3M thank MCCA for its leadership in this vital area.”

3M and four other regional winners will be honored at MCCA’s inaugural Diversity Honors Gala at the Lincoln Center in New York City on September 27. The red-carpet evening will begin with an Oscar-like awards program in the Starr Theater that combines honors with entertainment, followed by an elegant VIP Dinner Reception in Alice Tully Hall. MCCA will also recognize Diversity Innovators, corporate legal departments and the law firms that serve them who implement outstanding diversity programs. And one individual will be honored with MCCA’s first Lifetime Achievement Award.

To learn more about MCCA’s Diversity Honors Gala and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.mcca.com or contact Jennifer Chen, Director of Special Events at JenChen@mcca.com or 202-739-5902.

With global sales of $27 billion in 2010, 3M produces thousands of imaginative products, and is a leader in scores of markets – from health care and highway safety to office products and abrasives and adhesives. 3M applies its technologies to an endless array of real-world customer needs to make life easier and better for people around the world. 3M is headquartered in St. Paul, Minn.

About MCCA
The mission of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association is to advance the hiring, retention, and promotion of diverse attorneys in 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. MCCA’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.