Sheppard Mullin Honors Partner Alfred Fraijo Jr. With Firm's Annual Diversity & Inclusion Award
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP has honored partner Alfred Fraijo Jr. with the firm's seventh annual Diversity & Inclusion Award, an award that recognizes the significant diversity and inclusion commitment of a Sheppard Mullin attorney.
"Alfred is an incredibly passionate advocate of diversity and inclusion within the firm and we are thrilled to recognize his leadership and dedication to efforts and initiatives in this area. We are proud of Alfred’s service to the firm and the community we serve," stated Sheppard Mullin chairman Guy Halgren.
"I am honored by the firm's recognition and proud of the accomplishments we have achieved in this area as a firm. We continue to make progress through each attorney's contribution to our diversity efforts," said Fraijo.
Fraijo is a partner in the Real Estate, Land Use and Environmental practice group in the Los Angeles office and the chair of the firm’s Hispanic/Latin American Business team. He is active and highly visible in many facets of the firm's Diversity & Inclusion (“D&I”) efforts. Whether mentoring diverse associates informally or through the firm’s affinity groups, providing a strong voice for diversity through the Los Angeles office recruiting committee and other diversity recruiting initiatives, or providing leadership for efforts of the D&I committee, Alfred brings high energy and a can-do spirit.
Fraijo's D&I-related efforts outside of the legal community are also worthy of praise. He was appointed by the California State Bar to serve on its Council on Access & Fairness Committee that launched a groundbreaking community college-to university-to law school diversity pipeline program. Fraijo is a board member of the Equal Justice Society that addresses racial disparities in the justice system. He also launched the first Los Angeles-area networking initiative for Latino summer associates that is hosted by Sheppard Mullin.
Fraijo’s efforts include advocating for planning and land use policies throughout California for the benefit of minority and low-income communities through his founding of the Leadership for Urban Renewal Network, Inc., a nonprofit based in Los Angeles that is nationally recognized for its economic development work, and his service with the Friends of the Hollywood Freeway Central Park. His star achievement in 2015 was partnering with the Los Angeles LGBT Center and Latino Equality Alliance to open Mi Centro, the first LGBT center for youth in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The Sheppard Mullin Diversity & Inclusion Award was created to recognize an individual or team of attorneys in the firm for their commitment to diversity & inclusion programs and initiatives in the legal profession. Recipients are selected based on their overall contributions and dedication to advancing the firm's mission in this area.