Promoting the Advancement of Women
One of the key elements of our diversity program is promoting the advancement of women in business. The firm continues to increase the number of women in leadership roles, with women comprising nearly 30 percent of firm management positions and 40 percent of our department chairs globally. The number of women among our newly elected partners has significantly increased as well.
Our women lawyers are critical to the shared successes we achieve with our clients, and they continue to play an ever-larger role in leading our firm. In 2013, 38% of our newly elected partners were women, up from 29% in 2012.
Received Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum.
Leading global research on gender parity on corporate boards
We continued our study of the laws and policies of countries around the world regarding the issue of gender parity on corporate boards – a topic that has become an increasing priority in many countries. We published the second, expanded edition of our global survey, Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Women in the Boardroom, which examines legislative, regulatory, and private sector developments and trends in 30 jurisdictions. Nearly two dozen of our lawyers from around the globe, along with several outside contributors, devoted numerous hours to this comprehensive research report. The report includes updates on the 13 jurisdictions covered in our first edition as well as overviews of 17 new jurisdictions in Asia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East. The report offers insights into how differences in culture, history, and societal norms, as well as the varying degrees of government involvement, affect representation of women on boards. Overall, we found that the wide range of representation of women on corporate boards from one country to another is subject to a variety of factors, including different legislative and regulatory regimes, cultural perceptions of women, and levels of economic development. The complete report is available here.
Collaborating with our clients to understand what matters most
Importantly, we also work closely with our clients to ensure we continue to provide client service excellence. During the past year, we brought together a panel of senior women executives from some of our top clients to discuss the critical issues for them as well as the services they most value from their outside counsel. It was an informative and lively discussion, with topics ranging from the implications of Dodd-Frank to LIBOR class actions, the JOBS Act, and tax regulations in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Supporting the career development of our women lawyers
The firm regularly hosts workshops and seminars designed to further support the professional development of our women lawyers. As one example, our Women’s PHAN in Washington, DC hosted a Persuasion Skills for Women Lawyers workshop, in which 75 of the firm’s women lawyers participated from offices around the world. Hosted by well-known University of Virginia lecturer Molly Bishop Shadel, the workshop provided practical strategies women lawyers can use to strengthen their speaking and presentation skills.
