Through the Wiggin Opportunity Initiative, the Firm has pledged to provide $10 million in free legal services to minority-owned businesses over the next 10 years. Our goal is to fuel the success of minority-owned businesses, encourage the creation of more, and increase diversity among business leaders in efforts to achieve systemic and lasting change.
With this ongoing ten-year commitment, Wiggin and Dana wishes to focus on our overall mission of working towards a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable world.
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
The Firm is looking to collaborate with strategic partners, like your organization, to help identify minority-owned businesses throughout the communities in which we operate that could benefit from our initiative. We will offer a variety of legal services to selected clients to address typical business issues in the areas of employment, real estate, intellectual property, privacy, commercial arrangements, corporate governance, financing, and disputes.
MINORITY BUSINESS OWNERS
If you know of or are a minority-owned business in need of legal services who cannot otherwise afford these services, the Wiggin Opportunity Initiative (WOI) may be able to assist. The Firm is looking for minority-owned businesses that could benefit from the WOI. We offer a variety of legal services to selected clients to address typical business issues in the areas of employment, real estate, intellectual property, privacy, commercial arrangements, corporate governance, financing, and disputes.
ELIGIBILITY
The WOI program is meant to assist minority-owned businesses who cannot otherwise afford quality legal services. Additionally, our support of “minority-owned businesses” will be guided by applicable statutes in the various jurisdictions where the Firm maintains physical offices or otherwise conducts business. For example, under Connecticut law:
- Black Americans, including all persons having origins in any of the Black African racial groups not of Hispanic origin;
- Hispanic Americans, including all persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race;
- all persons having origins in the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal, regardless of race;
- women;
- Asian Pacific Americans and Pacific islanders; or
- American Indians and persons having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and maintaining identifiable tribal affiliations through membership and participation or community identification.
The Firm will also consider individuals who identify as part of the LGBTQ community, veterans and members of other groups who have been historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged in the United States or other relevant jurisdictions as eligible individuals under its definition of “Minority Owned.”
