Coca-Cola announced Monday that it will not implement controversial diversity requirements for outside law firms working for the company after backlash from its investors. Diverse Backgrounds, and half of the billable time goes to black attorneys specifically. The requirements were announced by formal general counsel Bradley Gaton. Before resigning from his position as chief legal officer, Gayton justified clamping down to try to address disparities in legal fields faced by black lawyers and other lawyers from diverse backgrounds. However, the policy was met with a backlash from shareholders who threatened legal action, with the American Civil Rights Project (ACRP) labeling the requirements “awakened” and in violation of 1981 USC section 42, which prohibits illegal racial discrimination. The group’s executive, Daniel Morenoff, called the decision “surprising” because the violation of US civil rights law had not been considered. Since then, Monica Howard Douglas, Coco-Cola’s in-house attorney and now general counsel, has understood that the guidelines were never implemented in response to threats of shareholder lawsuits. The website of the company that has since scrapped the controversial guidelines will continue with its 2030 equality plan and rethink promoting diversity internally and externally, with a focus on a workforce that reflects the market they serve.