Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Takes 'Groundbreaking' Step in Diversity; Firm Names Scholar, Practitioner and Public Servant to Management Committee-Level Diversity Position.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 2003

In the week in which the nation celebrates the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the national law firm of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP (K&L) is privileged to announce the appointment of Carl Cooper as the firm's chief diversity officer, a position in which he will participate at a management committee level and will report directly to the firm's chairman.

James C. Diggs, senior vice president and general counsel of PPG Industries, Inc., said, "K&L's decision to create a chief diversity officer position is groundbreaking and demonstrates a commitment to issues that resonate deeply in the corporate community. It's heartening to see a major law firm like K&L taking significant steps to ensure that its people reflect the makeup of its clients and of the communities in which its lawyers and staff live and work. They've set a standard for other law firms to rise to, and I applaud their effort."

Similarly, Teveia Barnes, former executive director of Lawyers for One America and current director of the Bar Association of San Francisco, described the appointment as "a strong step in the right direction and signifies the firm's serious commitment to diversity. By appointing Mr. Cooper to the chief diversity officer position, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart is making a considerable investment in the future of our profession. K&L is absolutely focused on results."

Mr. Cooper, who currently serves as general counsel of the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh, is a graduate of Howard Law School and served as a teaching fellow at Harvard Law School and on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

"In his illustrious career, Carl has been an agent of positive change within our profession and society at large," said Peter Kalis, who chair's K&L's management committee.

Among his many other current responsibilities, Mr. Cooper sits on the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and chairs the Allegheny County Bar Association's Committee on Opportunities for Minorities in the Legal Profession.

In his new position at K&L, Mr. Cooper will be responsible for designing and implementing an ambitious agenda that promotes, achieves and maintains a diverse and open workplace at the firm.

"There are no shoes to fill in taking this position--only the firm's high expectations and a common passion to promote diversity in the firm and the profession at large. I am highly energized and enthused to meet this new challenge," said Mr. Cooper.

In describing the thinking behind this new position, K&L's Kalis noted that the firm's clients deserve to be represented by firms that represent the diversity of the communities in which they live and work. He added: "Our professional heritage is one that confers upon lawyers a sacred obligation to pursue the equitable distribution of life's bountiful opportunities. We intend to fulfill that obligation at K&L."

Kirkpatrick & Lockhart is a national law firm with approximately 700 lawyers in Boston, Dallas, Harrisburg, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Washington. The firm serves a dynamic and growing clientele in regional, national and international markets, currently representing more than half of the Fortune 500.