"I am immensely proud of our legal team, for winning this recognition and for deserving it. They have proved, and this award confirms, that our in-house counsel are full and equal participants in the historic transformation of global business in which we are engaged. Suzanne and her staff are true partners to our Board, to our C-Suite, and to me," said Mario Longhi, president and chief executive officer.    

In honoring U. S. Steel as the General Excellence winner, The Legal Intelligencer recognized the legal department's significant achievements throughout the last year in corporate compliance, outside counsel management and in-house legal work. 

"As a U. S. Steel director, I am honored to be associated with the great professionals who have been not just legal advisors, but indispensable counselors in helping to chart a new direction for this iconic American business. I believe that vital change must be achieved within, as an expression of an organizational vision and determination. This award is an important reminder that such change is eminently possible," said Dick Gephardt, former U.S. Representative and president and chief executive officer of Gephardt Group.

In addition to being a core value at U. S. Steel, diversity has assumed an increased profile in the legal department under Folsom's direction.  As the company's first female general counsel, she has ensured an adherence to a holistic approach to hiring – evaluating candidates not only for racial and gender diversity, but for diversity of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

"What the U. S. Steel legal department has accomplished recently in terms of diversity is nothing short of remarkable. It is a direct reflection on the unstinted commitment U. S. Steel leadership has made, and on the record numbers that Suzanne Folsom has personally set throughout her career in turning diversity goals into diversity results. I am grateful to The Legal Intelligencer for so conspicuously recognizing the achievements of this great law department," said Patricia Diaz Dennis, former member of the National Labor Relations Board and member of the U. S. Steel board of directors.  

Full coverage of U. S. Steel's achievements and an interview with Suzanne Rich Folsom will appear in the May 12 issue of The Legal Intelligencer.

United States Steel Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., is a leading integrated steel producer and Fortune 200 company with major production operations in the United States and Central Europe and an annual raw steelmaking capability of 24.4 million net tons. The company manufactures a wide range of value-added steel sheet and tubular products for the automotive, appliance, container, industrial machinery, construction, and oil and gas industries. For more information about U. S. Steel, please visit www.ussteel.com.

SOURCE United States Steel Corporation