(CHICAGO) Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP has been awarded Yale Law Women’s Recognition of Superior Performance in Gender Equitable Use of Parental Leave as part of its 2013 Top Ten Family Friendly Firms Initiative.
“We are grateful for this acknowledgment, which not only speaks to the strength and innovative nature of Katten’s flexibility policies but also to the fact that our attorneys are encouraged to use and feel comfortable using them,” said Leslie Minier, partner and chief diversity officer at Katten. “Our attorneys and their families all have different circumstances, and Katten is committed to giving them the combination of support that best fits their specific needs.”
As noted in Yale Law Women’s report, Katten was recognized as one of six firms where men were equally as likely as women to take advantage of parental leave policies.
Examples of Katten’s leave policy include leave for primary (three months paid) and non-primary caregivers (two weeks paid) for both childbirth and adoption circumstances; eligible attorneys may also add their one-month paid sabbatical after their fifth year with the firm. Additionally, to ease the transition back to work for primary caregivers, Katten offers the 60/60/80 program following childbirth or adoption. The program extends over three months with a 60 percent work schedule for the first two months and an 80 percent work schedule for the third month. In all of these circumstances billable targets are adjusted.
The Top Ten Family Friendly Firms Initiative is an annual policy survey of law firms that rank in the Vault 100. The survey—which explores certain family friendliness indicators such as billable hour requirement, part-time and flex-time options, parental leave policies and childcare availability—collects data to capture both the policies at these law firms and their utilization by male and female attorneys.
