{"id":398746,"date":"2020-12-14T07:03:21","date_gmt":"2020-12-14T12:03:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/?p=398746"},"modified":"2020-12-14T07:03:21","modified_gmt":"2020-12-14T12:03:21","slug":"balch-bingham-publicity-stunt-promotes-discrimination-against-minorities-declares-the-cdlu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/balch-bingham-publicity-stunt-promotes-discrimination-against-minorities-declares-the-cdlu\/","title":{"rendered":"Balch Bingham \u201cPublicity Stunt\u201d Promotes Discrimination Against Minorities, Declares the CDLU"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nAdvocacy Group Rips Embattled Law Firm\u2019s \u201cAll-White\u201d Leadership for Refusing to Apologize for Firm’s Alleged Racist Misconduct
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — “Not a single minority or female was mentioned or quoted in Balch & Bingham\u2019s news release highlight<\/a>ing a program<\/a> allegedly set up to help women and minority-owned businesses,\u201d said Ernesto Pichardo, a long-time Civil Rights activist and Chairman of the Board of the Consejo de Latinos Unidos (CDLU), a public charity and advocacy group.<\/p>\n

\u201cBalch & Bingham\u2019s all-white leadership appears to be engaged in a publicity stunt while refusing to apologize to the African-American community for alleged racist misconduct and criminal acts by the firm,\u201d Pichardo added.<\/p>\n

In 2018, a senior equity partner at Balch was convicted of six federal crimes in a <\/a>bribery <\/a>scheme<\/a> to suppress African-Americans in North Birmingham<\/a> from having their toxic property tested by the EPA.<\/p>\n

When reviewing the fine-print, the CDLU believes that Balch\u2019s \u201cBusiness Boost\u201d publicity stunt appears to promote and boost discrimination. Balch appears to suggest that the firm is arrogantly ignoring their alleged immoral, unethical, and racist conduct.<\/p>\n

Beyond financial thresholds of the program, Balch\u2019s news release declares, \u201cInclusion is subject to additional requirements, and acceptance will be determined on a case-by-case basis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pichardo lambasted the firm, saying \u201cIn other words, Balch & Bingham reserves the right to discriminate and exclude minority-owned businesses based on unknown <\/em>requirements and determinations. Instead of fighting systemic racism, Balch appears to be affirming systemic racism.\u201d<\/p>\n

The publicity stunt has highlighted Balch\u2019s alleged racist misconduct and refusal to apologize. The CDLU noted:<\/p>\n