Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP’s Dedication to Diversity

Since 2021, Steven C. Beer has served as a chair of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP’s Entertainment, Media, and Sports division. With clients from music, TV, and film, Steven C. Beer helps them secure trademarks to protect their work and acquire favorable contracts. Lewis Brisbois strives to improve its services by focusing on building a diverse set of employees.

With over 40 years of experience serving clients nationwide, Lewis Brisbois cemented its dedication to diversity. From its creation, the organization went to great lengths to hire candidates from underrepresented groups, like women and minorities. Its nationwide offices also contribute to its diversity stance, and clients can receive assistance from lawyers local to them.

To gain new credentials proving its employees’ diversity, Lewis Brisbois began undergoing the Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification in July 2021. Created to heighten diversity at law firms, Mansfield Rule 5.0 states that companies must fill at least 30 percent of high-level leadership roles, like senior and executive positions, with women, minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, or individuals with disabilities. To reach this goal, Lewis Brisbois submits hiring and employee pool data for evaluation twice per year.

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The Latino Filmmakers Network’s Entertainment Law Panel

 Alongside his duties as a lawyer at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, Steven C. Beer harnesses his expertise to help new comers to the entertainment industry. To increase the visibility of Latin American actors, directors, and producers, Steven C. Beer hosted a panel for members of the Latino Filmmakers Network in January 2022.

The panel brought together several panelists with common experience in advising television, film, and music personnel. From producing works for networks like HBO, to overseeing distribution of indie films, the panelists explained best practices and personal successes in their chosen niches. Not only did attendees learn about business aspects of their creative work, like intellectual property and securing funding, but also they learned how legal professionals harness their passion for the industry to uplift independent artists.

The panelists placed great emphasis on diversity in media, and how each one strived to promote inclusivity in entertainment by funding projects from underrepresented groups. The most prominent role model for this work, Doris Casap, grew HBO’s offerings for over 25 years by including content marketed toward Latin American viewers. Through her production company Mother Films, she funds projects like A Most Beautiful Thing, a documentary about the first African American rowing team, and ensures that they receive wide attention.