Katten Named Among "Best Law Firms for Women & Diversity"

(CHICAGO) Katten announced today that the firm was selected as one of the 2024 "Best Law Firms for Women & Diversity" by Seramount, which recognizes firms utilizing best practices in recruiting, retaining, promoting and developing women lawyers and attorneys from underrepresented groups, including people of color.

"As a firm, we are deeply committed to DEI and fostering a culture where everyone is welcomed, feels valued and knows that their diverse perspectives are important to the firm's success. We are proud to be recognized for our efforts," said Katten Chair Roger P. Furey. "From our Kattalyst sponsorship program to our growing affinity groups and more, we consistently invest time and resources to prepare our people for success, making Katten a stronger firm to serve our clients better."

This honor marks the 15th year Katten has earned a spot on Seramount's "Best Law Firms for Women" list, maintaining its Hall of Fame status, which is awarded to firms that have appeared on the list more than 10 times.

Seramount's application for the 2024 list included questions about attorney demographics, family-friendly benefits, mentoring and sponsorship participation, and policies that focus on flexibility, paid time off and parental leave. Seramount is a strategic professional services and research firm dedicated to supporting high-performing, inclusive workplaces.

Katten's slate of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs features a biennial Diversity Summit, which last summer convened nearly 150 firm attorneys for interactive workshops, strategic networking sessions and thought-provoking discussions to help them build on their strengths and make lasting connections. The summit, with the theme "Unlocking Our Power & Purpose," detailed best practices in shifting away from imposter syndrome and toward adopting unconditional self-worth, handling encounters of microaggression and implicit bias, and generally building a successful law firm career. The firm also presented a pre-event networking session for all women attorneys.

The summit has led to new programs that promote inclusivity, including additional mentoring initiatives and the expansion of affinity groups, which help cultivate Katten's culture of inclusion.

"Katten's dynamic diversity programming is valuable because it provides an opportunity for our attorneys to comfortably share their experiences and how they have overcome challenges," said Partner Kenya S. Woodruff, National Chair of Katten’s Women’s Leadership Forum. "Such insightful conversations can positively impact the professional growth of our attorneys and contribute to a more inclusive work environment while underscoring the firm's unwavering commitment to advancing DEI not only at Katten but throughout the legal industry."