Minneapolis (23-July-2010) - Kristine McKinney has joined Faegre & Benson LLP as the firm's new diversity and inclusion manager. In this role, McKinney will lead firmwide efforts to increase diversity in the Faegre & Benson workforce.

McKinney began her career in the Faegre & Benson legal personnel department. She is currently completing a master of science in learning and organizational change at Northwestern University. For the past five years she has managed diversity efforts for Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago.

"We are very pleased to welcome Kristine back to the firm," says Charles S. Ferrell, chair of the Faegre & Benson Diversity Committee. "As a high-performing individual with a passion for positive change, we believe she is ideally suited to help us achieve the aggressive diversity and inclusion goals we have set for ourselves."

In addition to efforts to recruit and retain a diverse team of lawyers and staff, Faegre & Benson incorporates diversity efforts into its daily practice and ensures policies and business models reflect these values.

The firm has been recognized with a variety of awards and rankings for its diversity commitment, including the Inside Counsel Economic Empowerment Award, MultiCultural Law top 100 law firm for diversity and women, and perfect scores on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.