DORF & NELSON – FIRST US LAW FIRM IN THE U.S. TO RECEIVE GENDER FAIR DESIGNATION
Dorf & Nelson LLP has been “Gender Fair Certified”. Gender Fair is the world’s first consumer rating system for gender equality. Dorf & Nelson is the first private sector business to be designated as the previous certification had only been available to large public companies such as Eli Lilly, Microsoft, Mastercard, and JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Gender Fair uses independent research to rank companies based on their fairness practices regarding leadership, employee policies, and philanthropy. It then calculates a score measuring how a company rates when it comes to gender equality.
“Our firm is honored to be recognized for this meaningful and important certification, and we are committed to maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all of our employees,” says Managing Partner of Dorf & Nelson, Jon A. Dorf, Esq. “We are proud to currently be the first and only law firm in the United States to receive Gender Fair Certification.”
A majority of Americans—84 percent—say they expect companies to support women’s rights and 87 percent of consumers say they would purchase a product because a company advocated for an issue they cared about. Still, less than 20 percent of Fortune 500 companies meet the Gender Fair standards. Gender Fair encourages consumers to reward those companies that demonstrate a commitment to practicing equality rather than just paying lip service to it.
“To Dorf & Nelson, being inclusive is more than just checking off boxes on a diversity chart—it is an integral part of our corporate culture,” Dorf says.
“We are the sum of all our parts and want our employees to feel valued and respected as individuals irrespective of their race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, or disability. We are devoted to modeling diversity and inclusion and to maintaining a welcoming environment with equitable treatment across all functions of our business. Being Gender Fair-certified lets the public know how deeply we hold these values.”
Jonathan B. Nelson, Esq.
ABOUT GENDER FAIR
Founded in 2014 as a public benefit corporation, Gender Fair developed a proprietary, independent and expert-reviewed rating system designed to measure the impact of gender equality policies and inclusion programs at the nation’s largest employers. Its approach is informed by the United Nations’ Women’s Empowerment Principles. Learn more at http://www.genderfair.com/
ABOUT DORF & NELSON
The team at Dorf & Nelson serves the business community as both legal counsel and trusted advisor. The organization’s diverse practice groups bring a comprehensive perspective to clients’ legal and business matters. It is this strength and the firm’s philosophy – to probe for innovative solutions beyond the obvious legal or business answer – that has proven to be successful for their clients both in the courtroom and across the negotiating table. The firm has offices in Westchester, Manhattan, Garden City and Los Angeles. More information can be found at https://dorflaw.com/
ABOUT JON
Jon A. Dorf is the Managing Partner of Dorf & Nelson LLP and serves as the Co-Chair of the firm’s Commercial Real Estate Department. Jon provides strategic planning and oversight for the firm as Managing Partner, and in his comprehensive practice, advises high net worth clients and an expanse of businesses, ranging from start-ups to mid-sized and larger corporations, by providing solid legal counsel and serving as a trusted advisor. Although Jon’s personal areas of concentration include corporate, commercial real estate, and intellectual property, Jon is personally accessible to all clients and ensures that he and his team provide each matter with an unwavering dedication to excellence, professionalism, and unique client centered solutions.
For over the past two decades, Jon has advised clients on corporate matters and commercial real estate transactions, including complex sales and purchases, refinances, divestitures, negotiation of contracts and related governance agreements, corporate compliance, strategic planning aimed at maximizing profits, and litigation strategies. Additionally, Jon has experience in intellectual property, including trademarks, copyrights, the licensing of intellectual property, and general branding, and he advises clients on how to capitalize on marketplace recognition and protect their intangible assets.
Jon is dedicated to the furtherance of the economic growth and stability of Westchester County and New York State. He is a board member of the Business Council of Westchester and a former board member of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation. In the past, he served as an executive committee member and as the former general counsel of the Business Council of Westchester. Jon has also served the Westchester County Bar Association, having been a former vice president, executive committee member, and board member. Jon currently serves on the Board of Trustees for his alma mater, Albany Law School.
Committed to diversity and inclusion, Jon works diligently to ensure that D&N continues to further this end. Under his leadership, D&N has been the recipient of several awards for gender fairness, equal justice access, furtherance of women, and family friendly policies. Further, Jon’s commitment to excellence is noted by the firm’s receipt of the 2017 Small Business Award for Excellence in overall firm growth as featured in the fall issue of 914Inc. Since 2010, Jon has been awarded membership to the prestigious organization, New York Metro Super Lawyers, and is a frequent lecturer and presenter on relevant law topics at local and state organizations such as the New York Bar Association, the Westchester Bar Association and law schools.
ABOUT JONATHAN
Mr. Nelson is an experienced litigator and corporate counsel with comprehensive knowledge and business vision in corporate governance, multi-national operations, risk management, strategic business development, dispute resolution, and complex litigation matters. As Chair of the Litigation Department, Mr. Nelson oversees more than twenty attorneys in the Litigation Department which is comprised of a Commercial Litigation Group, a Title Insurance Litigation Group, a Medical Malpractice Defense Group, a General Liability Defense Group and a Professional Liability Defense Group.
For almost thirty years, Mr. Nelson has handled and tried a diverse array of litigation matters from state court civil business litigation to complex federal intellectual property matters. He oversees all aspects of the firm’s commercial litigation cases from intake through trial.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Nelson was Assistant General Counsel at the Compass Group USA, Inc., the publicly traded subsidiary of Compass Group PLC (CPG.L). Earlier in his career, Mr. Nelson had a general law practice focusing on civil and criminal litigation in state and federal court.
He has also held the position of Assistant District Attorney at the Office of the Kings County District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York, where he has attained the position of Senior Trial Attorney. Upon receiving commendations for successfully trying numerous felony cases, including homicides, Mr. Nelson was chosen to help form an elite bureau, concentrating in the complex prosecution of crimes committed against children.
