Seyferth Blumenthal & Harris LLC (SBH) member Charlie Harris recently earned recognition from the National Law Journal as an Employment & Discrimination Trailblazer award winner. The award aims to honor industry professionals who go above and beyond to be agents of change in specific areas of legal practice.

Throughout his career, Harris has worked tirelessly to improve diversity and inclusion in all levels of the legal community. He notably became the first African American president of the Missouri Bar Association, where he presented and received approval for a diversity initiative strategy that reserved three appointed positions for unrepresented groups. He also finds success as an accomplished labor and employment attorney, where he has earned several accolades, including, but not limited to, Missouri Lawyers Media’s Lawyer of the Year honor and an NAACP Diversity Advocate in Law award.

Harris has been a name partner at SBH since he joined the firm in 2008.  At SBH, Harris works with other leaders at the firm to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion principles are recognized, honored and maintained.

“The legal industry must confront the lack of diversity and inclusion,” Harris states. “I’m hopeful we have begun to change the narrative in Missouri and positively affected the direction for the profession. Just as diversity and inclusion increases in the communities we serve, we must make sure the legal community also reflects, supports and identifies with that diversity.”

The full profile can be read here. Please note, a subscription may be required.

At SBH, Harris has a national practice focused on representation of corporations, nonprofit entities, corporate officers and directors, and municipalities against claims of disability, race, gender, sex and age discrimination, sexual harassment, and wage and hour and collective actions and business litigation. In addition to serving as a hearing officer for Missouri attorney ethics cases, by appointment of the Missouri Supreme Court, he has served as special master and general receiver by appointment from state and federal judges.