The Coca-Cola Company Names King & Spalding, L.L.P. as Recipient of Its “Living the Values” Award

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Coca-Cola Company presented its “Living the Values” Award (LVA) to Atlanta-based law firm King & Spalding L.L.P. The award, now in its second year, was established by the Company to annually acknowledge and honor the U.S.-based law firm, with whom it does business, which best demonstrates a commitment to diversity with creative and innovative solutions that align with The Coca-Cola Company’s diversity values. Alex Cummings, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of The Coca-Cola Company, presented the award to King & Spalding partner and diversity committee chair, Lovita T. Tandy at The World of Coca-Cola during an awards dinner hosted by Geoff Kelly, general counsel and senior vice president of The Coca-Cola Company.

“The Coca-Cola Company is one of the world’s most diverse global companies and King & Spalding is honored to be the recipient of its Living the Values Award”

“Leveraging diversity is more than just a core value for our Company. It is a business imperative for us. For this reason, it is appropriate that we recognize the positive actions of others who are making progress in this critically important area. We applaud King & Spalding for their visible leadership, best-in-class practices and commitment to elevating their diversity performance,” said Cummings.

The LVA was first announced in 2006 by Geoff Kelly, with a promise to initiate the first competition in 2007. The first LVA award was presented on April 8, 2008 to the law firm Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. (SHB), for demonstrating their commitment to diversity through the deployment of creative and innovative solutions.

For the second LVA award, in December 2008, a questionnaire was distributed to the Company’s 32 U.S. “partner” law firms requesting descriptions of their practices and values that support and drive diversity and inclusion in the following areas:

Commitment of firm’s senior management to diversity with established systems for measuring progress and accountability.
Representation of minorities and women in the firm generally and in the firm leadership.
Success in hiring, development, promotion, and retention of minority and women associates within the firm.
Creative partnering arrangements with minority and women-owned firms.
Rigor in firm-wide diversity programming such that diversity, as a goal, enjoys firm-wide ownership and participation.

Firm responses were evaluated against best-in-class practices in each area. King & Spalding earned the highest aggregate score.

“Diversity is and will continue to be a core element of The Coca-Cola Company’s values and corporate culture,” said Kelly. “I’m excited to work for a company that is committed to empowering its people to think big and contribute to work that matters. The legal division believes in working within the framework of the Company’s diversity objectives to create an initiative to champion a continuous cycle of strategy, stewardship and metrics around diversity for our function. We all have an obligation to call out areas for improvement to continue change. As part of the LVA initiative, we are pleased to recognize the contribution of King & Spalding for promoting diversity and creating long-term value for everyone with whom they work.”

In an effort to steward change, King & Spalding has made diversity an integral part of the firm’s culture. King & Spalding is committed to attracting, retaining and promoting diversity throughout the firm—and strives to create a collaborative environment that benefits from the sharing of experiences, ideas and unique qualities that each of its lawyers brings to the firm. Because diversity is one of the firm’s core values, it is supported by a standing committee that leads the firm’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

“The Coca-Cola Company is one of the world’s most diverse global companies and King & Spalding is honored to be the recipient of its Living the Values Award,” said Tandy. “King & Spalding is committed to maintaining a diverse, inclusive environment, and while this journey is full of challenges, we are fully committed to it as part of our long-term strategic plan.”

Coca-Cola is one of the first Fortune 100 Companies to publicly honor law firms that excel in workplace diversity efforts.

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with nearly 500 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, the Company’s portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, POWERADE, Minute Maid and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of nearly 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

About King & Spalding L.L.P.

King & Spalding is an international law firm with more than 880 lawyers in Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dubai, Frankfurt, Houston, London, New York, Riyadh (affiliated office), San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. The firm represents half of the Fortune 100 and in Corporate Counsel surveys consistently has been among the top firms representing Fortune 250 companies. For additional information, visit www.kslaw.com.

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