New York City Bar Association Selects The Bank of New York Mellon as 2008 Diversity Employer of the Year

NEW YORK, Apr. 29 /PRNewswire/ --

NEW YORK, April 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Bank of New York Mellon's legal department was honored by the Committee on the Recruitment and Retention of Lawyers of the New York City Bar Association (NYC Bar) as "Diversity Employer of the Year" for 2008 in recognition of its leadership role in supporting diversity efforts in the workplace and commitment to hosting diversity law students from the NYC Bar Diversity Fellowship program. The program matches diversity law students with law firms and legal departments for a summer employment experience after their first year of law school. The award is given each year to a law firm or corporate legal department that participates in the program.

The Diversity Employer of the Year award, which distinguishes the company for its support of the Fellowship program and overall corporate support, was presented during the Committee's April 29 annual luncheon by Vivian Tang, the committee secretary, and accepted by Carl Krasik, general counsel, The Bank of New York Mellon.

A non-profit association founded in 1870, the NYC Bar represents attorneys, judges, law professors, law students, legal administrators, and legal assistants/paralegals in the greater New York metro area. In addition to protecting the public's welfare, the Association works for political, legal and social reform, while implementing innovative means to help the disadvantaged.

"We are honored that the Committee chose to recognize our ongoing support of diversity initiatives including our association with the Fellows program," said Carl Krasik, general counsel, The Bank of New York Mellon. "We believe that achieving and valuing diversity is fundamental to our global business success. We are grateful to the Association for this acknowledgement." Since 2006, the company has annually hosted NYC Bar Fellows in its corporate legal department, with another three Fellows signed on for the summer 2008 session. Through this meaningful program, the Fellows are exposed to the range of work performed within a corporate legal environment, broadening the student's legal experience. Additionally, The Bank of New York Mellon has provided charitable support to the New York City Bar Association for its high-caliber Fellows program.

"For a third consecutive year, the Bar's Committee on the Recruitment and Retention of Lawyers has selected an effective ambassador for diversity in the workplace," said Janis M. Meyer, Chair of the Committee. "The Bank of New York Mellon's consistent effort to bring talented Fellows into their legal department each summer is admirable and noteworthy."

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 34 countries and serving more than 100 markets. The company is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, providing superior asset management and wealth management, asset servicing, issuer services, clearing services and treasury services through a worldwide client-focused team. It has more than $23 trillion in assets under custody and administration, more than $1.1 trillion in assets under management and services $12 trillion in outstanding debt. Additional information is available at www.bnymellon.com.