Jason Glover is the firm’s Director of International Operations, based in the London office.
“I believe the firm and indeed the wider legal profession has made significant progress to date. The landscape around diversity, equity, and inclusion is certainly very different to when I began my career. Each year, I see increasing interest from potential recruits, from existing personnel in different functions across different offices, and from clients.”
What has been your experience as an openly gay man at Sidley?
I have had an extremely positive experience. By way of background, I am the director of International Operations for our European and Asia Pacific offices. I have been with the firm for just over 20 years, and my role has changed considerably over that time as our presence outside the U.S. has grown, additional offices have opened, and the provision of legal services has developed. I am responsible for the provision of support functions in our international offices; in the last few years, we’ve primarily focused on our European offices, working closely with management in the U.S. and local office managing partners. Unlike many of my LGBTQ+ colleagues, I did not come out as a gay man until relatively later in life, at the age of 53 in 2015. My not coming out prior to that time was unrelated to my career or fear of repercussions at Sidley but for more personal, family reasons. However, once I made the decision to come out, I was keen to do so at work. The partnership, my peers, and those I interact with have always been incredibly supportive and respectful of my decision to be an openly gay man.
I would encourage everyone to be who they are and feel at ease in doing so. A diverse and inclusive team is most definitely a stronger team.
In your opinion, is there anything else law firms should do to help create a more diverse and inclusive environment for the LGBTQ+ community within the legal profession?
I believe the firm and indeed the wider legal profession has made significant progress to date. The landscape around diversity, equity, and inclusion is certainly very different to when I began my career. Each year, I see increasing interest from potential recruits, from existing personnel in different functions across different offices, and from clients. Dialogue around the firm related to diversity is now commonplace, and the quality of dialogue is both challenging and interesting. I know it is high on the agenda for the firm, and great strides have been made in so many of our offices. That said, there is always more that can be done. In the spirit of inclusion, I’d encourage the firm to continue to widen its focus beyond our legal personnel to further include our professional staff. This would be a positive step in the right direction. It may also be a helpful signal giving comfort to anyone considering coming out.
