(New York—June 19, 2013) — For the third year in a row, the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) has named Reed Smith to its select listing of law firms deemed “Gold Standard Certified.”
In 2013, also for the third straight year, Reed Smith met all six of the criteria for inclusion. Furthermore, it is one of only six firms to do so in 2013, and one of only two firms, to date, that have three-peat recertified in all six categories. The categories 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.
“We are grateful to WILEF for again recognizing our ongoing commitment to all of the lawyers here at Reed Smith—from the development of their careers, to the quality of their lives,” said Reed Smith Global Managing Partner Gregory B. Jordan. “It is also an honor and a privilege to support WILEF in promoting these high standards for diversity and the empowerment of women within the legal profession.”
Reed Smith exceeds all of WILEF’s criteria for certification. Currently, more than 700 female lawyers at Reed Smith account for some 22 percent of its total partnership, and 50 percent of attorneys promoted by the firm to equity partner in 2012 are female. Additionally, 41 percent of all counsel and 57 percent of all associates are female. Overall, 26 percent of all leadership positions at Reed Smith are filled by women attorneys, including 40 percent of the Executive Committee and 40 percent of the Compensation and Promotion Committee.
In another census of women leaders in the law recently released by The American Lawyer, Reed Smith ranks #1 for Compensation and #2 for Governance among the 93 firms in the Am Law 100 that completed the survey.
The firm also was honored by Yale Law Women for inclusion in its eighth annual listing of “Top Ten Family Friendly Firms,” on which Reed Smith appears for the second year in a row. YLW honors firms for their leadership in developing and implementing family-friendly practices and policies.
Last November, Reed Smith was also selected as one of the 2012 Working Mother & Flex-Time Lawyers’ “Best Law Firms for Women.”
Over the years, the firm has received much recognition for its pioneering Women’s Initiative Network of Reed Smith (WINRS) program, which is a global community of more than 700 lawyers in 25 offices dedicated to a workplace that attracts, engages, develops, supports and rewards the firm’s women lawyers.
“We are pleased by the latest rankings from WILEF, Am Law, Working Mother and Yale Law Women,” said Chicago-based partner Kit Chaskin, Global Chair of WINRS. “At Reed Smith, we have proven the success of the programs that help our women lawyers advance, lead and succeed—by building skills, removing obstacles and by cultivating the business of relationships.”
In an article discussing the recent WILEF, YLM and Am Law rankings, Above the Law offered this final analysis:
In all, it seems like the biggest winner here is Reed Smith. With an appearance on all three of these lists—and having been certified in all six categories of WILEF Gold Standard excellence three years running—not only does the firm achieve top marks for offering its women attorneys top compensation, but it also offers women the chance to do so while working their way up the rungs of the leadership ladder and still maintaining an active role in their families. We commend you on a job well done.
Congratulations to all of the firms that made WILEF’s criteria for Gold Standard Certification, and a big shout out to Reed Smith for rising to the top of the pack when it comes to women’s empowerment in Biglaw. We still have a long way to go, but these firms are making big strides in the right direction. [ATL, 6.17.13]
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