LawFuel.com – August 16, 2009 – New York – Sidley Austin LLP has been named as a 2009 Working Mother & Flex-Time Lawyers Best Law Firm for Women. Sidley is among the 50 winning law firms praised for their continued attention to work/life and women’s issues and for their use of flex-time, reduced-hour and other family-friendly policies to ensure the future success of the profession. Sidley is one of only 15 law firms that have received this honor every year since the list’s inception.
Working Mother magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers, a national consulting firm advising the legal profession on work/life balance, law firm structure and the retention and promotion of women, have collaborated for the third year in a row to recognize law firms that have a dedicated commitment to the retention and promotion of female lawyers. The firms named to this year’s list were measured on a variety of factors, including: workforce profile; family friendly benefits and policies; flexibility; leadership, compensation and advancement of women; and development and retention of women.
Sidley’s continued inclusion on this list is based on its long-standing commitment to recruiting, retaining and promoting women lawyers. Its Committee on Retention and Promotion of Women focuses on a variety of subjects relevant to women at the firm, including practice development, mentoring, firm leadership and work/life balance. Sidley has over two decades of history of lawyers promoted to partner working on reduced hours arrangements. In 2005, Sidley became the second law firm to win the Catalyst Award, presented by Catalyst, the leading research and advisory organization dedicated to expanding opportunities for women and business. Sidley was lead sponsor of “Women of Color in U.S. Law Firms,” Catalyst’s study on the unique challenges faced by diverse lawyers.
“Sidley continues to make the recruitment, retention and promotion of diverse and women lawyers a top priority,” said Thomas A. Cole, Chair of Sidley’s Executive Committee. “We are committed to this initiative and are honored to be one of a small group of firms to be consistently recognized for our efforts to make Sidley a rewarding workplace for all.”
In the Sidley workplace, women have successfully cultivated their careers, honed their legal skills, risen to partnership, become leaders as well as role models and given back to the profession and communities in which they reside. Many have taken advantage of the firmwide reduced hours policy, which enables lawyers, at both the associate and partner levels, to work a flexible schedule. Women hold key management positions within the firm and a number of women lawyers serve as advisors, board members and officers for professional, volunteer and community organizations.
“Sidley has always been committed to expanding horizons for women in the firm,” said Laurin Blumenthal Kleiman, co-chair of the firm’s Committee on Retention and Promotion of Women. “Through our many initiatives and programs that focus on work/life balance, mentoring and professional development, each Sidley woman is encouraged to pursue the career that works best for her.”
Sidley Austin LLP is one of the world’s largest full-service law firms, with approximately 1700 lawyers practicing in 16 U.S. and international cities, including Beijing, Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. Every year since 2003, Sidley has been named to Legal Business’ Global Elite, its designation for the 18 firms “that define the pinnacle of the legal profession.” BTI, a Boston-based consulting and research firm, has named Sidley to their Client Service Hall of Fame as one of only two law firms to rank in the Client Service Top 10 for seven years in a row, and to the BTI Power Elite as one of only seven law firms demonstrating the best client relationships for the fourth consecutive year.
For purposes of the New York State Bar rules, this press release may be considered Attorney Advertising and the headquarters of the firm are Sidley Austin LLP 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, 212.839.5300 and Sidley Austin LLP One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, 312.853.7000. Prior results described herein do not guarantee a similar outcome.
