Overview
CHICAGO (August 1, 2016) — McDermott Will & Emery is proud to announce that it has once again been selected by Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers as one of the “50 Best Law Firms for Women.” The list recognizes law firms that lead the industry in creating and implementing best practices to retain and promote women lawyers. This is the third consecutive year that McDermott has earned a spot on this prestigious list.
“We are proud of all that McDermott has done to provide our women lawyers with more flexibility, additional mentoring, coaching, and networking opportunities,” said co-chairs Jeffrey E. Stone and Peter J. Sacripanti. “Our Gender Diversity & Inclusion Committee has done amazing work to ensure greater levels of support for our women professionals, and we are thrilled that the firm’s efforts have once again earned us the recognition as one of the best law firms for women.”
“At McDermott we have instituted innovative programs like our Women’s Business Development Initiative Coaching to ensure that our women attorneys receive the support and guidance they need to succeed,” said Jennifer Mikulina and Andrea Kramer, co-chairs of the firm’s Gender Diversity Subcommittee. “We are determined to continue improving the status of women both at McDermott and within the legal industry as a whole.”
In 2007 Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers co-founded the “50 Best Law Firms for Women” initiative to celebrate the law firms that are most successful in retaining and promoting women lawyers. The firms on this year’s list employ more female equity partners (20%) in 2016 than the national average (18%). McDermott, in particular, is proud to share that women lawyers comprise over 27% of the firm’s partnership, and over 30% of the firm’s partner promotions over the last two years were women.
Jennifer Owens, editorial director of Working Mother Media, says, “Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers’ “Best Law Firms” show how to make it work. Despite intense pressures, the success of the firms in creating workable solutions for working families shows their commitment and ingenuity to create a progressive future for their firms.”
Deborah Epstein Henry, president of Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, adds, “In reflecting on the decade since we began the Best Law Firms for Women initiative, we are pleased to see firms competing to make their environments more hospitable for women to both work and thrive. The greater level of awareness and commitment to make change is what will enable women to propel to the next level.”
The full list, which this year also highlights women of color in key leadership roles, can be viewed by clicking here.
About Flex-Time Lawyers
Flex-Time Lawyers LLC is an international consulting firm founded by Deborah Epstein Henry in the late 1990s, providing advisory, training and speaking services to employers and professionals on work life balance, retaining and promoting women and the future of the legal profession. It provides consulting and speaking services to law firms, corporations, professional service firms, non-profits, bar associations, and law schools, and at conferences, and retreats. Flex-Time Lawyers hosts a membership organization, offering quarterly in-person and webcast events on timely issues with prominent speakers. Membership also provides resources, networking opportunities and education about legal industry norms. For more information, please visit www.flextimelawyers.com.
About Working Mother Media
Working Mother Media (WMM), a division of Bonnier Corporation (bonnier.com), publishes Working Mother magazine and its companion website, workingmother.com. The Working Mother Research Institute (workingmother.com/wmri), the National Association for Female Executives (nafe.com) and Diversity Best Practices (diversitybestpractices.com) are also units within WMM. WMM’s mission is to serve as a champion of culture change. Working Mother magazine reaches more than 2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers.
About McDermott Will & Emery
McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice. Numbering more than 1,000 lawyers, we have offices in Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Munich, New York, Orange County, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC. Further extending our reach into Asia, we have a strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices in Shanghai.
