WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 DC-ArentFox-Best-2008
WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Arent Fox LLP has been named as one of
the 2008 Best Law Firms for Women by Working Mother magazine, the
authoritative source for career mothers, and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, a national
consulting firm advising attorneys and legal employers on work/life balance.
Arent Fox was recognized as one of only 50 law firms in the nation that have,
according to Working Mother and Flex-Times Lawyers, "redefined the standards
of success by creating a workplace that encourages the retention and
advancement of women."
"Arent Fox is proud to be recognized as one of the best places to work for
women and working mothers," said the firm chairman Marc Fleischaker. "One of
our firm's core strengths has been our longstanding commitment to women. In
early 2007 Arent Fox formalized that commitment by launching the Women's
Leadership Development Initiative, which works to facilitate mentoring and
training programs that contribute to the retention of our women lawyers and
ensure that women serve on firmwide committees, with the ultimate goal of
advancing even more of them into leadership roles."
Carol Evans, CEO of Working Mother Media, congratulated Arent Fox on its
innovative approaches that help the firm's attorneys balance the demands of
their careers and family lives. "Today nearly half of law school graduates are
women. Law firms need to make a fundamental shift in their policies by
instituting female and family-friendly benefits as Arent Fox has done," Evans
said. "We hope that by recognizing Arent Fox, which has already moved the
needle, a paradigm shift will follow."
Approximately 38 percent of Arent Fox lawyers are women, and 27 percent of
partners are women. Since 2006, 44 percent of lawyers promoted to partner have
been women. Women lawyers at Arent Fox serve as department chairs and practice
leaders as well as on numerous firmwide committees - and several are the
lawyers responsible for a number of our largest clients.
Arent Fox understands the importance of achieving a healthy balance
between one's profession and family life. Accordingly, for the past 20 years,
the firm has had a policy in place that enables associates and counsel who
work reduced hours retain eligibility for promotion to partner. Moreover,
Arent Fox also provides back-up child care, as well as adult care as part of
its benefits package.
"Other law firms should take notice of Arent Fox's commitment to change
and competition. We hope our recognition of Arent Fox will encourage
additional firms to devise more creative ways to enhance the work/life balance
and improve the status of women in the profession," said Deborah Epstein
Henry, Founder and President, Flex-Time Lawyers LLC.
Arent Fox LLP is profiled in the August/September issue of Working Mother
and at www.workingmother.com and www.flextimelawyers.com. The firm will be
honored at a luncheon at the Mandarin Oriental in New York on September 15.
That morning, Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers will hold a forum to report
for the first time the findings of their national research on the trends and
share best practices of work/life balance and women in the legal profession.
Methodology: The 2008 Best Law Firms for Women application was developed
in a partnership between Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC. Firms with
at least 50 lawyers were eligible to apply, and the application included
detailed questions about the issues that are most important to the retention
and promotion of female lawyers. Arent Fox was selected based on responses to
an application measuring areas such as workforce profile, family-friendly
benefits and policies, flexibility, leadership, compensation, advancement and
retention of women.
About Arent Fox LLP
Arent Fox is a recognized leader in areas including intellectual property,
real estate, health care, life sciences and litigation. With nearly 350
lawyers nationwide, Arent Fox has a wide range of experience in corporate
securities and transactions, financial restructuring and bankruptcy,
government relations and regulation, labor and employment, finance, tax,
corporate compliance and the global business market. The firm provides
services to Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, trade associations,
foreign governments, long-term care facilities, start-up companies and other
entities. Arent Fox has offices in Washington, DC, New York and Los Angeles.
SOURCE Arent Fox LLP
