Bristol–Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company with a simple but lofty goal: to help patients prevail over serious disease. The company strives to make this vision a reality through innovative research and a dedicated team of employees. Those efforts are enhanced and protected by an enthusiastic legal department of diverse attorneys overseen by general counsel Sandra Leung.
“Overall, the company is extremely diverse,” notes Anne Nielsen, vice president and associate general counsel for Bristol–Myers Squibb and the diversity committee’s executive sponsor. “We have employees around the world, and we need a legal team that reflects that community — or else we will not connect with our customers and patients. We look at diversity from a very broad perspective.”
Anne Nielsen
Bristol–Myers Squibb
The cornerstone of the law department’s diversity initiative is its summer internship program. The internship program allows eight law students to experience working in–house in the legal department. Eventually, the company hopes to establish a pool of highly qualified and committed attorneys that can be recruited for permanent positions. Started ten years ago with only one intern, the program has grown rapidly; next year, Bristol–Myers Squibb hopes to enroll up to ten interns for the summer.
“The interns participate in ‘lunch and learn’ sessions,and they give a summary presentation of their work to the general counsel at the conclusion of the program,” Nielsen explains. The students also participate in other activities, such as a tour of manufacturing facilities and a variety of speaker series events. “It is great to be part of the team that builds the bridges and links to the future,” she reflects.
“If the company’s current focus on diversity is any indication, this year’s Employer of Choice award promises to be the first recognition of many for Leung and her talented staff. DB
From the November/December 2009 issue of Diversity & The Bar®