Robert A. Lonergan
General Counsel
For more than 90 years, Rohm and Haas Company has been a leader in specialty chemical technology. With annual sales revenue of approximately $8 billion, Rohm and Haas is focused on delivering cutting-edge products and services through its network of more than 100 manufacturing, technical research, and customer service sites. Its global workforce of nearly 17,000 people operates in more than 27 countries. Rohm and Haas recognizes diversity is a business imperative, allowing it to create high-value solutions and innovative products. In fact, Diversity Outcome Objectives are included in the Performance Agreements of all Rohm and Haas leaders, including the CEO.
(L to R): Veta Richardson, MCCA; Robert A. Lonergan, Rohm and Haas Company; and John Huerta, The Smithsonian Institution
The law department, headed by Robert A. Lonergan, vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, employs 50 attorneys and is a leader on the diversity front. Forty-two percent of the attorneys are female and 20 percent are minorities. The six-person government relations staff, which also reports to Lonergan, has three women and three minorities.
Rohm and Haas is a signatory of “Diversity in the Workplace: A Statement of Principle,” which was drafted in 1999 by BellSouth. Additionally, the company revised its guidelines for outside counsel, consolidating them to a one-page document of six principles, with diversity in the number-two slot.
The law department works hard to retain good lawyers. Lonergan oversees work assignments to ensure not only that they are distributed equitably, but also that each attorney develops with “attention and intention.” “In our heart of hearts, we are a meritocracy,” says Lonergan. The department welcomes flexible work arrangements, such as job sharing if appropriate, and it is committed to making certain that a part-time schedule does not bar a qualified attorney from advancement or challenging, high-profile work.
Throughout the company, Rohm and Haas promotes diversity through its African American Leadership Network, the Hispanic/Latin Leadership Network, and the Women’s Leadership Network.
Externally, Rohm and Haas reinforces its commitment to diversity through its work in diverse communities. The company supports several organizations through financial contributions, employee volunteers, and leadership management, such as the Leadership Education and Development Program in Business, Inc.; Society for Women Engineers; and Black Executive Exchange Program—all organizations that encourage women and minorities of all ages to pursue careers in chemical engineering. The law department also supports the Police Athletic League and the Homeless Advocacy Project, which are local Philadelphia philanthropies that cater to a primarily minority clientele.
From the November/December 2005 issue of Diversity & The Bar®