Ashurst Perkins Coie

In June 2026, Perkins Coie merged with Ashurst, forming Ashurst Perkins Coie. Prior to the merger, both Perkins Coie and Ashurst had a history of divisive corporate policies and practices. It is unclear whether these causes or policies were retained, modified, or discontinued by Ashurst Perkins Coie (1). Perkins Coie received a score of 100 on the 2026 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (2)(3)(4). The company received a score of 100 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (5)(6). Ashurst Perkins Coie has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (7).

Perkins Coie’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2)(3). The company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (4)(5). Ashurst Perkins Coie does not publish charitable giving guidelines (6).

Perkins Coie’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend at least one, controversial training on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2)(3). The company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend multiple, controversial trainings on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (4)(5). Ashurst appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment, hiring, promotions, and leadership composition. From its 2025 Annual Business Report: “Today, the firm has 35% women partners and 29% women in senior legal leadership roles, compared to 19% and 18% respectively in 2016” (6). Ashurst appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its business structure through the establishment of racial targets for its hiring and promotions. The company is seeking “15% of partners and senior business services leaders to be ethnically diverse, of whom 6% will be Black…30% of legal staff and business services staff to be ethnically diverse, of whom 13% will be Black…at least 35% of trainees each year to be ethnically diverse, of whom 13% will be Black trainees” (7). Perkins Coie is Mansfield Certified, indicating its support of DEI in its recruitment, hiring, promotions, and leadership composition (8)(9). Perkins Coie is a member of The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance, indicating its support of DEI in its recruitment, retention, promotions, and leadership composition (10)(11). Perkins Coie received a letter from the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAFER), demanding its diversity fellowship stop using race as a determining factor of who qualifies for the program. After refusing to make changes, AAFER filed a lawsuit but dropped it once the firm made “substantial changes” to its fellowship. The firm only allowed law students who are “students of color,” “students who identify as LGBTQ+,” or “students with disabilities” into its diversity fellowships. The case was dismissed when Perkins Coie ended its diversity fellowships and started a new “race-neutral” one in its place (12)(13)(14)(15). Ashurst Perkins Coie does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (16).

Perkins Coie’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company potentially agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy. By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2)(3). The company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy. By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (4)(5). Ashurst is a member of the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance, which aims to influence regulatory bodies and legal associations with net-zero emission and subsequent decarbonization goals (6)(7). Ashurst Perkins Coie supports DEI within its business practices, employing several Diversity, Inclusion & Opportunity Officers (8). The company supports DEI within its business practices. From its Diversity, Inclusion & Opportunity page: “We anchor our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and opportunity for all in these guiding principles: … Intersectionality by design … Investing in inclusion…” (9). Following George Floyd’s death, Perkins Coie posted statements on its social media in support of Black Lives Matter, and it released a statement on its website committing to “build on the substantial work we are already doing to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within our firm and in our society” (10)(11)(12). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of Ashurst Perkins Coie using its reputation to advance ideological causes or policies (13).

Perkins Coie provides a benefits package for employees that covers travel/lodging costs for an abortion and transgender medical procedures for covered employees and dependents, including children (1)(2)(3)(4). Perkins Coie’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits, lab monitoring, and mental health benefits. The company also covers at least five of the following services: reconstructive hair removal, cosmetic hair removal, tracheal shave or reduction, facial surgeries, voice modification surgery, voice modification therapy, lipoplasty or filling for body masculinization or feminization, and travel and lodging expenses. Additionally, the company has potentially pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (5)(6)(7)(8). The company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. Additionally, the company has pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (9)(10). Perkins Coie sponsored the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s Lavender Law Conference, donating at least $65,500 since 2017 (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). The company was a sponsor of the 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 HRC National Dinners (19)(20)(21)(22). Perkins Coie is a member of the MCCA, indicating its focus on recruiting, retaining, and promoting employees based on race (23)(24). Ashurt Perkins Coie is a member of LGBT Great, a global business network that seeks to advance LGBTQ+ inclusion across the corporate sector by embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into workplace strategies. The organization accomplishes this by providing LGBTQ+ policy guidance and review, assessing corporate LGBTQ+ workplace practices through its Inclusion Index Benchmarking Tool (iiBT), supporting the development of DEI goals and objectives within the workplace, providing LGBTQ+ awareness training, including ESG investing through an LGBTQ+ inclusion lens, and connecting members to an LGBTQ+ focused talent and recruitment pipeline (25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31). Perkins Coie donated $48,500 to Equal Justice Works in 2019 and $41,800 in 2018 (32)(33). From 2020 to 2024 Arthur Perkins Coie Foundation donated $190,440 to Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (34)(35)(36)(37)(38). In 2020, Perkins Coie pledged to donate $500,000 each year to organizations that are focused on racial equality, though it did not specify which ones (39)(40)(41). Ashurst Perkins Coie pledged $2.5 million over five years “to local and national organizations focused on advancing racial equality through legal representation, policy advocacy, and community-based activities” (42). Perkins Coie is a partner of the Leadership Council for Legal Diversity (43). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of Ashurt Perkins Coie using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (44).

Perkins Coie’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company publicly advocated for controversial sex and gender ideology through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). Ashurst Perkins Coie is a partner of the Center for Reproductive Rights, building case law, advocating before policy makers, and engaging in litigation to challenge bans and restrictions on access to abortion (3). The company is a part of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, committed to work on initiatives that fight “systemic racism” (4)(5). Ashurst Perkins Coie does not operate a PAC or report on its lobbying at this time (6)(7)(8).