Summary: Law firms can be awarded with a gold standard from The Women in Law Empowerment Forum for showing that women are highly regarded equity partners.
The Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) provides a certification to law firms that emphasize the importance of leadership roles achieved by women. They want the focus to be on what equity women partners achieve rather than the practices or policies of the firm. The WILCEF also does not place importance on the percentage or overall number of women practicing at each firm.
Law firms in the United States that have over 300 practicing lawyers are eligible for the Gold Standard Certificate. The firms must demonstrate that women are a substantial percentage of equity partners, governance and compensation committee members, high leadership positions, and highly compensated partners. A substantial percentage requires that the firm matches at least four of the listed criteria:
- Women represent a minimum of 10 percent of firm chairs and office managing partners.
- Women represent a minimum of 10 percent of the top half of the most highly paid partners.
- Women represent a minimum of 20 percent of the firm’s primary governance committee.
- Women represent a minimum of 20 percent of the firm’s compensation committee.
- Women represent a minimum of 20 percent of equity partners or a minimum of 33 percent of the attorneys that became equity partners in the past year.
- Women represent a minimum of 25 percent of the practice department heads or group leaders.
Firms awarded a Gold Standard for 2015:
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz
Ballard Spahr
Bryan Cave
Cooley
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Davis Wright Tremaine
Dentons US
DLA Piper (US)
Dorsey & Whitney
Faegre Baker Daniels
Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner
Haynes & Boone
Hogan Lovells
Holland & Hart
Hughes Hubbard & Reed
Jackson Lewis
K&L Gates
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
Latham & Watkins
Lathrop & Gage
Littler
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips
McCarter & English
McKenna Long & Aldridge
Morgan Lewis & Bockius
Norton Rose Fulbright
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
Paul Hastings
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
Perkins Coie
Polsinelli
Quarles & Brady
Reed Smith
Schiff Hardin
Shearman & Sterling
Shook Hardy & Bacon
Sidley Austin
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Stinson Leonard Street
Stoel Rives
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan
Thompson Coburn
Source: http://www.wilef.com/cert2.html
Photo: haynesboone.com