Cleveland, OH, April 29, 2008 –Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, recently accepted an invitation for membership into the Commission on Economic Inclusion. The Commission, a program of the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP), is a broad-based coalition of Northeast Ohio employers committed to making the region’s diversity a source of economic strength.

Representing Taft as members of the Commission are associate Majeed G. Makhlouf and partner Adrian D. Thompson, both in the firm’s Cleveland office. Prior to membership, Makhlouf, who co-chairs the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's Minority Attorney Roundtable Task Force, addressed the Commission as a panel speaker at a Commission meeting of Diversity Professionals Group. In a similar capacity, Thompson recently participated in a panel discussion on how to become a partner at a law firm, sponsored by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's Minority Roundtable Task Force.

“As I am a member and Adrian chairs Taft’s Diversity Committee, becoming a part of the Commission naturally fit our interests and commitment to serving the business community,” said Makhlouf. “Additionally, as Adrian and I interact with other Commission members, we have the opportunity to promote Taft’s expertise and diversity initiatives and strengthen existing client relationships.”

Through its focus on “Jobs & Opportunities, Wealth & Titles” for minority individuals and minority-owned businesses, the Commission works to ensure that economic inclusion is integrated into all aspects of the business community’s economic development agenda. The Commission annually measures progress in board, senior management, workforce and supplier diversity. A condition of Commission membership is that every company share their internally compiled data and statistical information gathered on minorities and diversity.

“Sharing our inclusion efforts, successes and statistical data with the Commission clearly demonstrates Taft’s commitment to diversity,” said Makhlouf. “We can also see what other businesses are doing with respect to diversity and inclusion – what works and what doesn’t – and incorporate that knowledge into our own efforts to grow and improve Taft’s diversity initiative.”

Makhlouf writes and speaks regularly to professional and business groups on complex business and commercial litigation, real estate and land use litigation, public law litigation, and appellate litigation. He has been repeatedly selected by Law & Politics magazine and Cincinnati Magazine in 2005, 2006, and 2007, as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in the area of business litigation.

Thompson focuses his practice on labor and employment issues. He received his undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University and law degree from The Ohio State University School of Law. Prior to joining the firm, Thompson worked as chief legal counsel for the Cleveland Municipal School District.

About The Commission on Economic Inclusion

Created in December 2000, the Commission on Economic Inclusion, a program of the GCP, is a broad-based coalition of 115 Northeast Ohio employers who are committed to making the region’s diversity a source of economic strength. Current Commission members have a combined workforce of about 191,000 individuals in Northeast Ohio and more than 800,000 employees throughout the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.gcpartnership.com/Commission.aspx.

About The Greater Cleveland Partnership

The Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) is a membership association of companies in Northeast Ohio, with approximately 17,700 members. GCP is the largest private-sector economic development organization in Ohio and one of the largest metropolitan chambers of commerce in the nation. Visit http://www.gcpartnership.com/ for more information.

About Taft

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP is a full-service law firm with offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Dayton, Ohio; Covington, Kentucky, Phoenix, Arizona; and Beijing, China. With more than 200 attorneys and a 122-year track record of experience, the firm provides a broad range of legal services to businesses and individuals, including litigation, corporate and business law, securities and municipal financing, tax and estate planning, labor and employment law, real estate and environmental, health care, intellectual property, and unfair competition and anti-trust law.