ST. LOUIS, MO, AUGUST 14, 2007 — LAWFUEL – The Legal Newswire – Bryan Cave LLP today announced that it has been named one of Working Mother magazine’s and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC’s 2007 Working Mother & Flex-Time Lawyers Best Law Firms for Women.
“We’re delighted to celebrate Bryan Cave for its efforts and successes in retaining and promoting women,” said Deborah Epstein Henry, founder and president of Flex-Time, a national consulting firm advising attorneys and legal employers on work-life balance and the retention and advancement of women.
This is the first time the magazine and the consulting firm have compiled a list of the top-50 law firms for women.
According to Working Mother and Flex-Time, Bryan Cave was measured by a variety of factors, including representation of women in leadership positions; compensation and benefits; parental leave and benefits; childcare; flexibility options; treatment of women staff as well as women lawyers; and programs to help train, retain and advance women.
Bryan Cave ranked in the top 1 percent in the flexibility category, 10 percent in the parental leave-related benefits and policies category and 20 percent in the retention and advancement of women category. The scale ranged from 1 percent to 100 percent, where 1 percent is the top performer.
“Caring about and supporting the growth and well being of our people has long been one of our core firm values and an integral part of our culture,” said Don Lents, Bryan Cave’s chairman. “Providing flexibility to adapt to both personal and professional needs helps us to recruit and retain the best talent.”
Pam Gates, partner in the Phoenix office and the mother of two young girls, identifies Bryan Cave’s flexibility as a key to her success. “Working part time, I set my schedule, attend to my clients’ needs and still have time to teach cooking class at my daughters’ school and savor the precious moments of childhood.” Bryan Cave promoted Gates to partner while she worked on a reduced schedule.
She notes that Bryan Cave values its women lawyers and helps working moms address tough situations. “Many of the working parents in our office struggled when demands of clients collided with the lack of child care,” Gates said. “If you had a deposition or trial on the day your nanny called in sick, the working parents had to struggle to find a quick solution. Bryan Cave created an office day care to help. Now, I can take our girls to the day care, take the deposition and know my daughters are safe and well cared for.”
Working Mother will profile the 2007 Working Mother & Flex-Time Lawyers Best Law Firms for Women in its August/September edition, on newsstands today. An awards event celebrating the top firms will be held in New York in September.
About Bryan Cave LLP
Bryan Cave LLP has a diversified international legal practice. The firm represents a wide variety of business, financial, institutional and individual clients, including publicly held multinational corporations, large and mid-sized privately held companies, partnerships and emerging companies. Aided by extensive investments in technology, Bryan Cave’s more than 800 lawyers in 15 offices across the United States, United Kingdom, Continental Europe, the Middle East, and Asia efficiently serve clients’ needs in the world’s leading business and financial markets.
Media Contact:
Meghan Clinton at (212) 576-2700 ext. 223
mclinton@goodmanmedia.com
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