International law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP announced today that it has once again received Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF). WILEF Certification is the only initiative directed toward certifying, publicly recognizing and broadly publicizing eligible law firms that have integrated women into the highest leadership positions in the firm.
Law firms with 300 or more practicing lawyers in the United States are eligible for the WILEF Gold Standard Certification if they successfully demonstrate that women represent a meaningful percentage of their equity partners, of their highest leadership positions, of their governance and compensation committees and of their most highly compensated partners. Only 42 firms nationally have qualified for this recognition to date in 2018. Dorsey was previously certified as WILEF Gold Standard in 2011-2012 and 2015-2017.
“It's an honor to be awarded with this prestigious certification, again, and it is testament to our culture of supporting women as leaders,” said Rebecca Bernhard, Firm-wide Diversity Co-Chair and a Partner in the Labor & Employment Group. “Dorsey understands the strength that comes from a diverse and inclusive workplace. It contributes to the success of our people and our clients and enriches our experience as individuals.”
WILEF’s Gold Standard Certification, a program now in its eighth year, has become harder to obtain following the decision to tighten some of the criteria that firms must meet to demonstrate their commitment to promoting and fairly compensating women.