MassMutual Named Employer of Choice By MCCA

MassMutual Named Employer of Choice By Minority Corporate Counsel Association

Washington, DC − The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) has named the Law Division of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) as its 2011 Employer of Choice Award winner for the Northeast Region. MassMutual was selected from all the law departments of corporations across the Northeast United States 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.

MassMutual’s Law Division, which includes the attorneys that work on its investments at Babson Capital Management LLC, believes workforce diversity can create both competitive advantages and opportunities. Promoting and maintaining a diverse workforce enables the company to attract excellent talent and make the best decisions to advance its business and best serve its policyholders and clients. The division has initiated many programs to support its goal of a diverse and inclusive workplace, such as adopting a formal Diversity Policy, establishing a standing Diversity Committee, and engaging outside minority lawyers. The Law Division also partnered with the law firm of Goodwin Proctor to provide fellowships to minority law students in their first year of law school, and instituted a summer law clerk program with minority students from the University of Connecti“A globally respected company like MassMutual has the opportunity to help establish positive diversity practices for its entire industry, and that’s what it has done,” said MCCA Executive Director Veta T. Richardson. “MassMutual creates opportunities for diverse lawyers both inside and outside the company, setting a standard for other companies to follow. This makes MassMutual a true Employer of Choice.”

“MassMutual is honored and delighted to be selected for this distinguished honor, which we view as a validation of our efforts in building a diverse and inclusive legal team,” said Mark Roellig, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, MassMutual. “We firmly believe that fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion within our entire legal team is critical to attracting the best lawyers, helping our company meet the needs of increasingly diverse customer base, and making the best business decisions that will ultimately benefit our company and its policyholders.”

MassMutual 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 also will recognize Diversity Innovators, corporate legal departments and the law firms that serve them that 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/gala or contact Jennifer Chen, Vice President – External Relations at JenChen@mcca.com or 202-739-5902.

About MassMutual
Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities. In addition, the company’s strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; MassMutual International LLC; and OppenheimerFunds, Inc.

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.