Pacific Gas and Electric Company Named Employer of Choice by MCCA

Pacific Gas and Electric Company Named Employer of Choice by Minority Corporate Counsel Association

Washington, DC − The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) has named the law department of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) its 2011 Employer of Choice Award winner for the Western Region. PG&E was selected from law departments of corporations across the Western 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.

PG&E’s Law Department Diversity Committee consists of 12 members and implements innovative and effective strategies to significantly promote diversity amongst PG&E’s legal suppliers. This networking strategy, combined with careful pairing of diverse legal services with PG&E’s legal needs, resulted in a nine-fold increase in PG&E’s legal spend with diverse companies, reaching $10.3 million in 2009.

PG&E’s Law Department is also seeding future growth in this area by providing internship opportunities for the next generation of diverse lawyers. Since 2007, the Law Department of PG&E has put into place a unique internship program called the Diversity Pipeline Program, which is designed to give regulatory experience to law students who have demonstrated a commitment to diversity.

“Despite the slow economic recovery, it is encouraging that the most law firms are still committed to promoting diversity,” said Veta T. Richardson, MCCA’s Executive Director. “The study shows that while law firms may not be able to devote quite as many resources to their diversity programs as in the past, it is still a priority for them.”

“Some companies would be satisfied with building a diverse legal department, but PG&E has gone far beyond that,” said MCCA Executive Director Veta T. Richardson. “They actively seek opportunities for minority lawyers outside of the company and are helping to mentor the next generation of diverse talent. These extraordinary efforts have earned PG&E the title of Employer of Choice.”

“Diversity is one of PG&E’s core values and is integral to our business strategy. It allows us to better anticipate, understand and satisfy the needs of the 15 million Californians we serve,” said Hyun Park, PG&E’s senior vice president and general counsel. “This award recognizes our dedication to foster diversity and support the diverse communities the company serves.”

PG&E 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/gala or contact Jennifer Chen, Vice President – External Relations at JenChen@mcca.com or 202-739-5902.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 15 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/about/newsroom.

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.