In the past ten years, the number of hours worked by diverse lawyers on Microsoft Corp. matters has increased by more than 20 percent. That’s not by coincidence, says Dev Stahlkopf, the Redmond, Washington-based company’s corporate vice president and general counsel. It is, at least in part, the result of Microsoft’s Law Firm Diversity Program, which began back in 2008.

While diversity isn’t the only factor the tech company takes into account when choosing outside counsel—experience and subject matter expertise are important, too—firms’ hiring and inclusion of women, people of color and LGBT-identified lawyers is a priority.