At Helsell Fetterman, we are committed to your cause.

Overview

At Helsell Fetterman, we know that attracting, retaining, and reflecting a diverse community in our workforce not only creates a rewarding and welcoming place to work, but also brings a broader range of perspectives and insights to our firm allowing us to better serve our clients’ needs.

Prioritizing diversity and inclusion is simply part of who we are and what we value. Diversity and inclusion are Core Values that drive our Vision and Mission. Our Vision declares that our firm “will attract, retain, and reflect a diverse community in its workforce”; and our Mission guides us to “offer a diverse, rewarding, and welcoming place to work where attorneys and staff can achieve long-term growth, personally, and professionally.” We take great pride in having a collegial, informal, and entrepreneurial environment where people are encouraged to be themselves, learn from one another, voice their ideas, and chart their own paths.

Our Diversity Goals

  • Promotion of diversity awareness within our firm and in the community
  • Community involvement and outreach
  • Diversity hiring and promotion practices in every position in the firm

As a Firm

 

Our DEI Commitment

Helsell Fetterman condemns and denounces hate and abhorrent language and behaviors intended to harm any member of our community on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, expression, age, national origin (ancestry), immigration status, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or military status. We are firmly committed to peace, justice, civil discourse, social-emotional support and respect for all.

But actions speak louder than words...

Antiracism Commitment

Helsell Fetterman commits to do the hard and necessary work to eradicate racism, confront bias, and achieve justice. See our Antiracism Commitment here.

Our hearts and thoughts are with George Floyd’s family. They have suffered an immeasurable loss that cannot be undone. We hope the verdict, in some small way, helps to alleviate some of their pain.

The verdict is a step toward accountability and fairness in our country. However, justice does not begin and end at the courthouse door and there is still much work to do.

The Helsell Fetterman Fellowship

Helsell Fetterman has created a fellowship for fostering diversity, and for over 10 years, we have provided young attorneys an entry into the practice of law. We strive to uplift diverse voices, communities of color, and those who have been disadvantaged by allowing employees the opportunity to participate in peaceful protests, and by providing them with resources to find and donate to organizations that support disadvantaged communities, buy from Black and minority-owned businesses, and frequent minority-owned restaurants. Our firm strives to do business with minority owned businesses and business who support our values and commitment.

Despite being recognized multiple times as one of the top three diverse law firms in Washington State, we will continue to be intentional about making Helsell Fetterman a diverse, inclusive and welcoming law firm. Today, our attorneys and staff members are more diverse than we have ever been.

Helsell Fetterman Spotlight

Each month, Helsell Fetterman celebrates a local, minority-owned business, highlighting the amazing people within our community.

 

The Hall family wanted to bring Mexican food with a healthy flair to Seattle and in December, 1994, they opened Gorditos.  “Nobody cooked the same as my dad,” they said, referencing the restaurant's influence by the owner’s Mexican-born father who cooked with only fresh, healthy ingredients. Gordito's never uses canned ingredients, lard or trans-fat, and everything - from the tortilla chips to the salsas - is made fresh in the mornings.

But don’t be fooled.  While it is healthy, the serving sizes are huge.  There’s a “Chiquito Menu” for those who aren't in the mood to be stuffed to the brim with delicious Gordito's food (but let's be honest, when would that happen?).Did I mention that serving sizes are big?  Well, I’m not kidding.  Gorditos is famous for its Gorditos’ Burrito Grande, aka the famous Baby Burrito. This hefty baby-sized burrito is literally the size of a new born. Think I’m kidding?  See below.   One customer was inspired to take a side-by-side comparison photo of his new born baby next to the burrito, and the restaurant now rocks a Baby Burrito Wall where customers have posted photos of their babies and burritos and the creative logo.

 
Prior Spotlights:
August 2020: Mojito
September 2020: Jerk Shack
November 2020: Lumpia World
April 2021: Market Fresh
May 2021: Tamarind Tree
June 2021: Fuji Sushi
July 2021: Harbor Café
August 2021: Döner Box
September 2021: 206 Burger Company
November 2021: Karachi Cowboys
January 2022: Now Make Me A Sandwich
February 2022: Mojito
March 2022: Gorditos 
 
Other Businesses showcased:
Pot Pie Factory
Boon Boona Coffee
Pinckney Cookies

Community Participation


Recognition

In 2008 and 2010 the Minority Bar Associations of Washington Joint Committee on Law Firm Diversity conducted surveys of Washington State law firms and issued The Law Firm Diversity Report ranking law firms on their diversity.  In the report issued on the 2008 survey, Helsell Fetterman was ranked third overall in Washington State, behind only the largest law firm in the state (a multi-national law firm) and the large Seattle office of a San Francisco-based law firm that is now defunct.  In the 2009-2010 Law Firm Diversity Report, Helsell Fetterman was again ranked third overall in Washington State for demographics and efforts related to diverse attorneys.  The 2009-2010 report also published rankings in sub-groups, and Helsell Fetterman’s sub-group rankings included third in the state for demographics and efforts related to female attorneys, first for demographics and efforts related to GLBT attorneys, and sixth for demographics and efforts related to disabled attorneys.  The Law Firm Diversity Report survey and ranking processes were discontinued after 2010.  In 2008, the Puget Sound Association of Legal Administrators awarded its annual “Achievements in Diversity Award” for firms with fewer than fifty attorneys to Helsell Fetterman.

While we were proud of our accomplishments and awards in diversity and inclusion in 2008 and 2010, we knew then that our efforts on diversity and inclusion were far from over.  Since 2010 our efforts at continuing to make Helsell Fetterman a diverse, inclusive and welcoming law firm have progressed with steady persistence and commitment.  Today, our attorneys and staff members are more diverse than we have ever been.

Associations & Memberships

We encourage our attorneys to volunteer their time and efforts through leadership activities. Below is a list of organizations for which our attorneys currently volunteer their time through board and committee service.

  • American Bar Association
  • Asian Bar Association of Washington (ABAW)
  • Latina/o Bar Association of Washington (LBAW)
  • Hilltop Housing
  • The Judicial Institute
  • Joint Asian Judicial Evaluations Committee
  • King County Bar Association
  • King County Bar Foundation
  • Korean American Bar Association of Washington (KABA)
  • Loren Miller Bar Association (LMBA)
  • Middle Eastern Legal Association of Washington (MELAW)
  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)
  • Page Ahead
  • Seattle Girls’ School
  • Seattle University School of Law, Law Alumni Board
  • Seattle University School of Law Public Interest Law Foundation Alumni Steering Committee
  • Seattle Summer Search
  • Vietnamese-American Bar Association of Washington (VABAW)
  • Vietnamese Friendship Association
  • Washington Initiative for Diversity (WID)
  • Washington State Bar Association
  • Washington Women Lawyers (WWL)
  • Wayfind
  • We are a founding sponsor of QLaw, the LGBT Bar Association of Washington

Volunteering

On an individual basis, volunteering is a common thread in the Helsell community. About 30% of volunteers do so by providing professional services through various bar groups or legal clinics, or as board members of non-profit groups. Working in various capacities with non-profit groups such as United Way, Habitat for Humanity, El Centro de la Raza, Fare Start, Little League, 4-H, and PAWS accounts for about 2/3 of the total individual volunteer activity, while the rest is split between faith-based and school-related groups such as Catholic Community Services, Episcopal Diocese, Seattle Girls' School, local school boards, University of Washington, and Seattle University.

 


Landmark Diversity Case

In 2004, Helsell Fetterman collaborated with Lambda Legal and Northwest Women’s Law Center on Andersen v. King County, an important case regarding the legality of same sex marriage. It was a contribution of time, energy and resources that we were proud to make in the furtherance of the recognition of equal rights.

Contact Us to Learn More

Connect with Helsell

800 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3200
Seattle, WA 98104

(206) 292-1144

Contact Us

     
Proud LawPact Member

U.S. News - Best Lawyers©

Best Law Firms 2024 - Ranked by Best Lawyers

Stay Informed

Subscribe to our newsletter offering insights into relevant legal issues.

Make a Payment
Pay