Archer & Greiner Names Lloyd Freeman Chief Diversity Officer

On Dec 5, 2018

Haddonfield-based Archer & Greiner announced Lloyd Freeman has been appointed to the new role of chief diversity officer, and will serve as chairman of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, effective immediately. In this role, he will serve as a trusted advisor to firm executive management and the Office of the President. Also a prominent member of the firm’s business litigation group, Freeman will carry out the firm’s vision to grow diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, as well as implement policies and procedures, and foster programs to promote diversity throughout the firm.

“Diversity and inclusion have been a cornerstone of Archer since our founding more than 90 years ago,” said Christopher R. Gibson, president of Archer & Greiner. “And while I’m proud of the work we have done in this space, I’m thrilled that Lloyd will build upon our current achievements and work to make Archer a more inclusive place for all.”

In this capacity, Freeman is tasked with promoting diversity and inclusion in the recruitment, hiring, retention and promotion of its attorneys, which includes maintaining an ex-officio position on the Personnel and Hiring committees. In addition, he will develop and nurture key partnerships to drive strategic diversity and inclusion marketing, as well as business development initiatives.

“Diversity and inclusion have never been more important, and I am honored to be taking on this responsibility and advancing Archer’s efforts in this space, both internally and externally,” Freeman said. “As Chief Diversity Officer, my ultimate goal and commitment is to make sure that diversity is woven into all aspects of law firm life. This is how you create a truly inclusive work environment.”

A longtime champion of diversity and inclusion in the profession and at Archer, Freeman created Archer’s affinity group, L.E.A.D. (Lawyers Encouraging Archer’s Diversity) in 2012 and has coordinated the firm’s summer associate program for the past two years, resulting in the most diverse summer associate classes in the firm’s history. Freeman himself was a summer associate at Archer and also received an Archer diversity scholarship while in law school. He is the first person of color to rise through the ranks from summer associate to partnership status. Outside of the firm, he served as president of the Garden State Bar Association—New Jersey’s oldest and largest association of African American lawyers and judges—and has written articles and spoken at conferences on the importance of diversity and inclusion.

Archer prioritizes diversity initiatives and mentoring programs. Since 1999, Archer has offered diversity scholarships to law students. Additionally, Archer is a longtime member of the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group and recently pledged $100,000 to support the Rutgers Minority Student Program, demonstrating its commitment to hiring diverse talent.

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