(August 6, 2013, New York) – Reed Smith LLP today announced it again ranks among the nation’s “Best Law Firms for Women,” according to Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers. 2013 is the second consecutive year the firm has earned top honors in this competitive ranking and its third appearance on the list.
“We are gratified that our strategic emphasis on measurable indicators of women’s success has again been recognized by Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers,” said Kit Chaskin, Global Director of the Women’s Initiative Network (WINRS) at Reed Smith. “Our exceptionally strong commitment to gender balance continues to benefit men and women in all positions, at every stage of their careers.”
In announcing the 2013 winners, Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers described Reed Smith as “part of an elite group of law firms creating significant change in the law industry” through its ongoing “commitment to the retention and advancement of women.”
Currently, more than 400 female lawyers at Reed Smith account for some 22% of its total partnership, and 50% of attorneys promoted by the firm to equity partner in 2012 were female. Additionally, 42% of counsel and 51% of all associates are female. Overall, 31% of the leadership positions at Reed Smith are filled by women attorneys, including 40% of the Executive Committee and 40% of the Compensation and Promotion Committee.
This is the fourth recognition Reed Smith has recently received for its efforts to advance women. In June, the firm was named “Gold Standard Certified” by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum, one of only two firms certified three times in WILEF’s six categories, which require that women:
- account for at least 20% of equity partners;
- represent at least 10% of firm chairs and office managing partners;
- make up at least 20% of the firm’s primary governance committee;
- represent 20% or more of the firm’s compensation committee;
- make up at least 25% of practice group leaders or department heads; and/or
- represent at least 10% of the top half of the most highly compensated partners.
In a separate, recent census of women leaders in the law by The American Lawyer, Reed Smith ranked #1 for Compensation and #2 for Governance among the 93 firms in the Am Law 100 completing the survey.
Reed Smith also was recently honored by Yale Law Women, which included the firm in its eighth annual list of “Top Ten Family Friendly Firms.” 2013 marked Reed Smith’s second consecutive appearance on the list, which recognizes firms for their leadership in developing and implementing family-friendly practices and policies.
Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers will honor Reed Smith September 25 at the “Best Law Firms for Women Gala Awards Luncheon” in New York City. Some of the firm’s female lawyers will also participate in the Career Accelerator Summit for Women in Law scheduled the same day, during which top-performing women partners will discuss how women lawyers can enhance their skills to gain success and status.
The firm will also be featured in the August/September 2013 issue of Working Mother magazine, on workingmother.com, in the publication’s media campaign and national press release, and on flextimelawyers.com.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,800 lawyers in 25 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, technology and media, shipping, energy and natural resources, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.
U.S.: New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Houston, Princeton, Northern Virginia, Wilmington, Silicon Valley, Century City, Richmond
Europe: London, Paris, Munich, Greece
Middle East: Abu Dhabi, Dubai
Asia: Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Kazakhstan