(CHICAGO) Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP announced today that the firm was selected by Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers as one of the 2013 "50 Best Law Firms for Women." This is the sixth consecutive year Katten has been given this distinction where law firms are evaluated and selected based on their family-friendly policies and creative business development programs geared toward women attorneys.
"Katten maintains its commitment to providing our attorneys innovative policies and programs that can help them balance both work and family," said Vincent A. F. Sergi, Katten's Chairman. "We are always looking for fresh approaches that enable us to recruit, retain and promote women attorneys at all levels."
Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers created the Best Law Firms for Women Initiative in 2007 to recognize US law firms that create and use best practices in retaining and promoting women lawyers. The winning firms lead the industry in supporting flexible work arrangements and offering generous paid parental leave. The Best Law Firms for Women Initiative also ensures that lawyers who take advantage of family-friendly programs are not excluded from the partnership or leadership track.
Katten's innovative work solutions were recognized for giving attorneys "personal freedom." The firm was also praised for providing eligible associates flexibility with their schedules while remaining on the partnership track and offering them paid sabbaticals after five years. Additionally lauded was a program Katten offers that provides a phased transition back to work for three months upon return from parental leave.
"Katten not only offers creative programs that are geared to advancing, retaining and supporting female attorneys throughout their legal careers, the firm also allows women to tailor the programs to their specific needs," said Karin Berg, Insolvency and Restructuring partner and national chair of Katten's Women's Leadership Forum. "Every woman and her family has different circumstances and Katten is committed to giving its female attorneys the combination of support that best fits them."
Katten promotes the strategic retention and advancement of women by creating and maintaining an environment that recognizes, cultivates and utilizes the talent of its female attorneys to expand and create business opportunities and achieve long-term success. Female attorneys are offered onsite and online courses in continuing education and are reimbursed for seminars outside the office that they complete to qualify for continuing legal education credit.
Additionally, Katten offers innovative leave and flexibility policies. For example, to ease the transition back to work, Katten offers attorneys the 60/60/80 Program following the firm's three-month paid maternity or adoption leave. This includes a 60 percent work schedule for the first two months following maternity leave and an 80 percent work schedule for the third month. In addition, after completing a fifth year of work at the firm, an eligible associate at Katten can take a one-month paid sabbatical that can be added onto maternity leave. Attorneys can also request alternative work schedules allowing them the flexibility to meet both client and family needs.
Carol Evans, president of Working Mother Media, said, "The 50 Best Law Firms for Women has created the ultimate benchmark in the profession. These firms not only offer excellent flexibility and advancement policies designed to retain and grow their female talent, they fight for issues crucial to women worldwide through their powerful pro bono programs."
Deborah Epstein Henry, president of Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, states,
We are particularly excited about our Best Law Firms who recognize that designing a women-friendly workplace is not only about individually inspiring women but also making structural changes to the law firm model to make it more hospitable for women to thrive. In turn, these Best Law Firms are implementing effective training programs to empower their women lawyers and also looking at their infrastructure to ensure that the means to effectuate viable work/life policies, groom leaders, award business development credit, and determine compensation and promotion are all being done equitably.
Working Mother magazine reaches more than two million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers. This year marks the 28th anniversary of the magazine's signature research initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies.
Flex-Time Lawyers LLC is an international consulting firm founded by Deborah Epstein Henry in the late 1990s, providing advisory, training and speaking services to employers and professionals on work life balance, retaining and promoting women and new models of legal practice.
