Toyota Named Employer of Choice Award Winner

Toyota Named Employer of Choice by Minority Corporate Counsel Association

WASHINGTON – The Minority Corporate Counsel Association has named Toyota Legal One, the legal department of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., the 2013 Employer of Choice Award winner for the Western Region. Toyota was selected from law department applicants 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.

Toyota Legal One (TL1) considers diversity to be a fundamental part of its business practice. Diversity is incorporated into internal and external hiring and the selection and retention of outside counsel and other business partners. Managers and supervisors are evaluated for their success in furthering diversity and inclusion. TL1 also seeks to impact the next generation of lawyers by providing intern programs and scholarships for minority law students, and supporting career days held by legal associations and seminars at minority law schools.

“By making diversity part of its business practice, Toyota ensures greater opportunities for all attorneys,” said Joseph K. West, MCCA’s President and CEO. “This strengthens the legal community now and will continue to do so in the future. MCCA salutes Toyota for its outstanding vision and commitment.”

“Being recognized as Employer of the Year by the MCCA is a true honor, one that I know will inspire the ongoing efforts of the Toyota Legal One team to promote diversity and inclusion in everything we do,”  said Christopher P. Reynolds, group vice president and general counsel, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A, and chief legal officer, Toyota Motor North America. “Our commitment to growing and empowering a diverse workforce in an environment of equal opportunity is not just rooted in Toyota’s guiding principles, it also helps ensure we have the best and the brightest contributing their full potential to meet the needs of our customers.”

Toyota and four other regional winners will be honored at MCCA’s Diversity Honors Gala at Lincoln Center in New York City on September 17. The evening will begin with a red-carpet reception followed by the awards program in the Starr Theater that combines honors with entertainment, ending with an elegant VIP Reception in Alice Tully Hall. MCCA will also present the George B. Vashon Innovator Award to corporate legal departments and law firms or legal associations that implement outstanding diversity programs. During the reception, one individual will be honored with MCCA’s prestigious 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 Toyota
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) is the Toyota sales, marketing, and distribution subsidiary devoted to the U.S. market. Founded in 1957, TMS oversees sales in the Continental United States of Toyota, Lexus, and Scion products through a network of over 1,200 Toyota dealers and over 200 Lexus dealers. With headquarters in Torrance, Ca., TMS has 14 regional offices and employs more than 6,000 people.

About MCCA
MCCA was founded in 1997 to advance the hiring, retention and promotion of diverse attorneys in legal departments and the law firms that serve them. MCCA accomplishes its mission through publishing, research and training, pipeline initiatives and networking. MCCA’s work has been recognized with awards from the National Minority Business Council, Inc., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National LGBT Bar, and the Association of Corporate Counsel.

MCCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and also has a Southeast regional office in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, go to mcca.com.