Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP

Rating Overview

Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP is Medium Risk.

Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. Bilzin Sumberg occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Lower Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	Medium Risk
Funding	High Risk
Political Actions	High Risk

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Bilzin Sumberg has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (1).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Bilzin Sumberg does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Bilzin Sumberg is a member of The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance, indicating its support of DEI in its recruitment, retention, promotions, and leadership composition (1)(2). Bilzin Sumberg appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment efforts (3). Bilzin Sumberg does not publish a nondiscrimination policy (4)(5).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Bilzin Sumberg supports DEI within its business practices, stating that DEI “is important from both an organizational performance standpoint, as well as a societal standpoint” (1). Bilzin Sumberg has also said that “DEI is a top priority for the firm, which does whatever it takes to operationalize DEI and make it an indelible part of firm culture” (2).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Bilzin Sumberg supports the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), as well as the University of Miami OUTLaw, “whose mission is to support the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community at the University of Miami School of Law”. Bilzin Sumberg sponsored two events focused on supporting the LGBTQ community, the SAVE Champions of Equality Gala and the 50th Anniversary Task Force Gala. The firm also sponsored the Anti-Defamation League’s “Partners Against Hate Luncheon” (1). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of Bilzin Sumberg using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (2).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Bilzin Sumberg is a part of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, committed to work on initiatives that fight “systemic racism” (1)(2). Bilzin Sumberg does not operate a PAC or engage in lobbying at this time (3)(4)(5).