Status granted to firms meeting objective criteria on the number of women among equity partners, in firm leadership, and among the most highly compensated partners
Washington, DC (June 9, 2017) – Venable LLP is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the Gold Standard Certification by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF). Gold Standard status is granted to major law firms with 300 or more attorneys who meet objective criteria concerning the number of women among equity partners, in firm leadership positions, and among the ranks of the most highly compensated partners. Venable was one of 44 firms awarded Gold Standard Certification.
"We have benchmarked ourselves against the WILEF standards and made intentional strides to enhance the lives and career trajectories of the women at Venable with a strong emphasis on retention, promotion, and lateral hiring," said Stephanie L. DeLong, a partner in the Real Estate practice at Venable who serves on the Venable Board, heads Women Attorneys at Venable (WAVe), and is a member of the WILEF Global Advisory Board. "Since joining WILEF in 2015, our firm has had a laser focus on achieving this goal, and we are extremely honored."
To qualify for Gold Standard Certification, firms must meet a majority of WILEF’s criteria, including:
- 20% of U.S. equity partners or, alternatively, one-third of attorneys who became U.S. equity partners within the previous 12 months are women.
- 15% of the heads of the firm and its U.S. branch office heads combined are women.
- 20% of the members of the firm’s primary governance committee are women.
- 20% of the members of the committee that determines equity partner compensation are women.
- 25% of U.S. practice group leaders/department heads are women.
- 15% of the top half of U.S. equity partners in terms of compensation are women.
- 7% of U.S. women equity partners are women of color and/or 3.5% of them are LGBT.
Founded in 2007, WILEF is dedicated to helping women in law to assume leadership roles within the National Law Journal 350 law firms, in Fortune 100 legal departments, and within their respective communities. With chapters in New York, Washington DC, Chicago, London, Texas, Boston, and California, WILEF provides cutting-edge programming and an educational networking forum for women in law and women law school students.
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Venable LLP is an American Lawyer Global 100 law firm headquartered in Washington, DC that serves as primary counsel to a worldwide clientele of large and mid-sized organizations, nonprofits, and high-net-worth entrepreneurs and individuals. With over 600 attorneys across the country, including California, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Washington, DC, the firm strategically advances its clients’ business objectives in the U.S. and around the globe. Venable advises clients on a broad range of business and regulatory law, legislative affairs, complex litigation, and the full range of intellectual property disciplines.