Resident in our San Francisco office, Cort Lannin is a litigator who specializes in defending clients in high-stakes complex matters, including class action cases. He focuses primarily on consumer and antitrust cases, and has a depth of experience with all facets of class action practice.
Mr. Lannin is a co-chair of Covington’s LGBT+ Affinity Group and is deeply involved in the firm’s efforts to recruit, mentor, and promote diverse attorneys, including LGBT+ attorneys.
How has the Covington’s organization culture evolved during your time with the firm?
When I started at the firm in 2009, the fact I am gay was a non-issue -- no one blinked an eye and it never felt like a "thing." That is consistent with the DNA of our firm, which is founded on bedrock principles of collegiality and deeply invested in treating people equally and respectfully regardless of their background or sexual orientation. Since I joined, the firm (along with the business world in general) has developed a better understanding that promoting and celebrating diversity is an affirmative source of strength, and enhances how we relate to each other and our clients. Our firm is stronger and our lawyering is improved -- more creative, more empathetic -- when our colleagues have a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints.
How have you been maintaining connections with members of the LGBT+ affinity group during this time of increased distancing and telecommuting?
Our affinity group was an early and enthusiastic adopter of the virtual happy hour model. We have had several virtual sessions on Thursday and Friday evenings for affinity group members to see each other, trade stories about quarantine, brainstorm ways to welcome our LGBT+ summer associates, and generally keep in touch. In many regards these sessions have strengthened my connections to colleagues in other offices that I hadn't met before or didn't know very well, and it wouldn't surprise me to see them continue even after we get back to some version of normal.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Develop a regular practice and routine for self-care. This can be a demanding job and I admire my colleagues who have developed robust practices outside of work to help center and ground themselves each day -- be it exercise, practicing mindfulness, baking bread, or a dozen other hobbies I've heard about during the course of the quarantine!
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