Shearman & Sterling LLP - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Shearman & Sterling LLP is Medium Risk.

Shearman & Sterling is Medium Risk. The company 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. Shearman & Sterling 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	Medium 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:

Shearman & Sterling 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:

Shearman & Sterling do not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs. The firm “works with and contributes to a wide array of nonprofit and charitable organizations that support law-related organizations as well as organizations that support the firm’s pro bono, corporate social responsibility, and diversity and inclusion programs” (1).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Shearman & Sterling is Mansfield Certified, indicating its support of DEI in its recruitment, hiring, promotions, and leadership composition (1)(2). Shearman & Sterling does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (3)(4).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Shearman & Sterling 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 (1)(2). The firm scored a 100 out of 100 on the 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group (3)(4). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of Shearman & Sterling using its reputation to advance ideological causes or policies (5).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Shearman & Sterling 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). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of Shearman & Sterling 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:

Shearman & Sterling 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 (1). The firm is a part of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, committed to work on initiatives that fight “systemic racism” (2)(3). Shearman & Sterling does not operate a PAC or engage in lobbying at this time (4)(5)(6).