Law Firm Partners Recognized For Remarkable Success While Working Flexible Schedules
Diversity & Flexibility Alliance to Present 2017 Flex Success™ Awards at Annual Conference
WASHINGTON, DC, February 27, 2017 — The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance announced its 2017 Flex Success™ Award Honorees: Felicia Gerber Perlman, Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and her client Charles Baker, Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Ball Corporation; and Phyllis Wan, Partner at Hogan Lovells US LLP and her client Carol McDaniel, Vice President of Administration and Operations at AXS TV LLC & HDNet Movies LLC.
The Flex Success™ Award recognizes partners at Diversity & Flexibility Alliance (the “Alliance”) member organizations who have achieved a high level of success while working a reduced hours schedule as well as a client who has been integral to making workplace flexibility so successful. The Awards will be presented on March 16, 2017 at the Alliance’s annual conference, Diversity + Flexibility = An Evolving Culture, in Washington, DC. Registration is available here.
“With support from their clients and firms, these two extraordinary attorneys are excelling in their careers, contributing to the success of their colleagues, and giving back to their communities, all while making time for their families and personal pursuits,” said Manar Morales, President and CEO of the Alliance. “It’s so important to celebrate these success stories and applaud the partners and clients who are successfully leading the cultural transformation of the industry.”
Based in Chicago, Felicia Gerber Perlman, a Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, has been working an 80 percent schedule for the last 12 years. While successfully building her Corporate Restructuring practice, Ms. Gerber Perlman also finds time to mentor other attorneys looking to work flexible schedules, serves on the firm’s hiring and diversity committees, and is the associate development and staffing partner for the Corporate Restructuring Department. Her flexible schedule has allowed her to devote time to her family while also sitting on the boards of the Chicago Coalition on Women’s Initiatives in Law Firms and the Chicago Sinfonietta, an organization dedicated to diversity and inclusion in the arts. She has also been recognized in Turnarounds & Workouts as one of the nation’s “Outstanding Young Bankruptcy Lawyers” and repeatedly selected for Chambers USA “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” and “The Best Lawyers in America.”
“As a corporate restructuring partner and a mother, workplace flexibility has been critical in allowing me to succeed and achieve my goals both inside and outside the office. This flexibility has enabled me to provide clients with exceptional service while also maintaining personal commitments. I am proud to be selected as a 2017 Diversity & Flexibility Alliance Flex Success™ Honoree, and I believe recognizing those who have achieved success through workplace flexibility is critical for inspiring others to offer flexible and inclusive environments,” Ms. Gerber Perlman said.
Ms. Gerber Perlman credits her success to “a mutual understanding” with her client, Charles Baker, Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Ball Corporation when it comes to balancing work and family responsibilities. “I feel this enhances our work relationship because we know and respect each other beyond the lawyer-client relationship,” she says. Mr. Baker concurs, adding, “At Ball, we are committed to creating and fostering a diverse and inclusive environment allowing us to retain top talent and creating an environment where employees can thrive. I am thrilled to be selected as a 2017 Flex Success™ Honoree and to have supported Felicia’s success while working a flexible schedule. Flexibility and inclusion allow us to create a diverse environment which drives growth and value throughout our global organization.”
Also receiving the 2017 Flex Success™ Award are Phyllis Wan, a Partner in the Denver office of Hogan Lovells US LLP, along with her client, Carol McDaniel, Vice President of Administration and Operations at AXS TV LLC & HDNet Movies LLC. Ms. Wan, whose practice primarily focuses on the media and entertainment industry, has been working a reduced-hours schedule of between 70-80 percent since 2005. While her flexible work schedule has evolved over the years as the needs of her family have changed, her commitment to her clients and to the firm have been consistent. She continues to earn the highest degree of trust from and has a strong reputation with her clients. In hearing of her nomination, Cole Finegan, the firm’s Regional Managing Partner for the Americas, noted “Phyllis is a prime example for partners, clients, and young lawyers alike of how a reduced-time arrangement does not mean a lawyer is not available when called upon and will not successfully balance personal demands with business needs.”
In 2016, Ms. Wan was named one of nine “Counselors Who Seal the Deal in Cable” by MultiChannel News and selected as a “2010 Top Women Lawyer” by Law Week Colorado. In addition to her client work, Ms. Wan served as the U.S. Chief Diversity Officer at Hogan Lovells and has mentored countless women and diverse lawyers in her 20 years at the firm. Since 2010, Ms. Wan has been a member of the firm’s Citizenship Panel, which oversees pro bono, diversity, environmental responsibility, community giving, and global giving initiatives, and the firm’s Global Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
“It is a tremendous honor to receive the Flex Success™ Award with my client, AXS TV – a client which has supported my flexible working arrangement for the past 14 years and valued my contributions, regardless of whether they found me working at the office, my home, or on the go with my children,” Ms. Wan stated. “More than any other client, Carol McDaniel and AXS TV embody the values and benefits of supporting teams and their agile working arrangements to create the best company culture and results.”
Ms. Wan’s long-standing client, Carol McDaniel, who has also worked a flexible schedule for many years, has supported Ms. Wan’s schedule and shares her pride in the recognition. “It is an honor to receive the Flex Success™ Award after many years of working flexibly at AXS TV, a company which values employee contributions and trusts their members to work professionally and responsibly, regardless of traditional schedules or structures,” said Ms. McDaniel.
“AXS TV is thrilled to recognize not only our very own Carol McDaniel, VP of Administration and Operations, for the Flex Success™ Award, but our long-time outside counsel, Phyllis Wan, who has been a trusted legal advisor since the early days of the two television networks’ beginnings. Without their contributions as seasoned, key team members, we would not be able to work as seamlessly and efficiently as we have over the years,” said Robert Thoele, CFO & General Counsel, AXS TV LLC & HDNet Movies LLC. “We understand that a company in the entertainment industry, which serves the general public and many generations of viewers, has to embrace flexible work arrangements to recruit and retain the best and brightest talent. This benefits everyone in the end.”
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The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance is a think tank that collaborates with organizations to develop non-stigmatized flexible work policies that promote inclusive work cultures and help to advance more women into leadership positions. The Alliance provides practical research-based solutions, training workshops, and strategic advisory services that increase organizational effectiveness through diversity and flexibility.
Contact —
Manar Morales
President & CEO
manar@dfalliance.com