Cyrus Mehri
Cyrus Mehri is an American attorney and partner at Mehri & Skalet. He is best known for helping to establish the National Football League’s Rooney Rule.
Professional history
In 2001, together with Steven Skalet, Mehri founded Mehri & Skalet, a law firm that specializes in discrimination, civil and consumer-rights violations, and corporate fraud.Mehri’s most notable cases are as follows, many of which resulted in the creation of an outside task force or monitor:
- Roberts v. Texaco
- Ingram v. The Coca-Cola Company
- Robinson v. Ford
- August-Johnson v. Morgan Stanley
- Amachoev v. Smith Barney
- Norflet v. John Hancock Life Insurance
- Carter v. Wells Fargo Advisors
- Brown v. Medicis Pharmaceutical
- ''Pars Equality Center et al v. Trump et al''
The Rooney Rule
In 2015, the English Football League adapted the Rooney Rule for professional soccer in the United Kingdom.
Other entities that have implemented versions of the rule include the cities of Portland and Pittsburgh, and the companies Xerox, Intel, Facebook, Pinterest, and Amazon.
The Fritz Pollard Alliance
In 2003, Mehri cofounded the Fritz Pollard Alliance, a non-profit organisation dedicated to diversity in the NFL. This affinity group helps minorities secure off-the-field leadership positions in the league, and at various points was led by former NFL players including John Wooten, Harry Carson, and Kellen Winslow. Rob Graves, former General Manager of the Arizona Cardinals, is the current executive director.Women on Wall Street
In 2004, together with the National Council of Women’s Organizations, Mehri launched the Women on Wall Street project. The project seeks to end discrimination against women in financial institutions, and has reached settlements with Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney, and Wachovia, among others.Working IDEAL
In 2017, Mehri cofounded Working IDEAL with Pamela Coukos to advise on inclusive workplaces, diverse talent and fair pay to large and small companies, universities, non-profits, unions and other organizations across the nation.Publications
Mehri’s writings and thoughts on politics and workplace diversity are published in an array of national outlets. His writing on U.S. politics has been featured in The Atlantic and Politico Magazine. These pieces discussed President Donald Trump’s legal issues, civil rights law, and the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. Mehri has also written about workplace diversity and his efforts relating to the Rooney Rule.Additionally, Mehri’s work has informed reports in several recent books, including Carl Ware’s Portrait of an American Businessman: One Generation from Cotton Field to Boardroom, Jim Rooney’s A Different Way to Win: Dan Rooney's Story from the Super Bowl to the Rooney Rule, and Diversity, Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion-Dollar Business by Pamela Newkirk.