International law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP is pleased to announce that it has for the seventh time 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 45 firms nationally have qualified for this recognition to date in 2019.
“We are pleased to be recognized once again for successfully integrating our women lawyers into leadership roles throughout the Firm,” said Rebecca Bernhard, Firm-wide Diversity Co-Chair, a Partner in the Labor & Employment Group and a member of the Firm’s Policy Committee. “Dorsey understands the strength that comes from a diverse and inclusive workplace. It contributes to the success of our people and clients and enriches our experience as individuals.”
Dorsey has received multiple recognitions for its commitment to opportunities for diverse lawyers, including its designation by “Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality” rating from the Human Rights Campaign for 13 consecutive years; “Best Law Firm for Women” by the National Association of Female Executives (NAFE) and Flex-Time Lawyer for 12 consecutive years; and is a recipient of the 2018 Mansfield Certification Plus.
WILEF’s Gold Standard Certification, a program now in its ninth 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.