Davis Wright Tremaine Partners Recognized For Remarkable Success While Working Flexible Schedules
The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance to Present 2016 Flex Success™ Awards at Annual Conference
WASHINGTON, DC: March 7, 2016 – The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance has announced its 2016 Flex Success™ Award Honorees, Jenna Mooney and Danielle Frappier, both Partners at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, and their clients, Joe Mattoon, Chief Legal Officer, CLEAResult Consulting Inc., and Steven Fenker, President, Nexus Communications, Inc., respectively. The awards, which will be presented at the Alliance’s Annual Conference, recognize partners at member organizations who are currently on a reduced hours schedule and a client that has been integral to making workplace flexibility a reality and a success.
“It is so important to recognize these two outstanding attorneys who were promoted to Equity Partner, became experts in their respective fields, successfully developed new business, and mentored junior associates while maintaining flexible work schedules,” said Manar Morales, President and CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. “With the steadfast support of their clients, they were clearly able to implement flexible work schedules that benefitted their firm, their clients, their careers and their personal lives,” she added.
“I’m delighted to congratulate Jenna and Danielle, and their clients, CLEAResult Consulting and Nexus Communications, on this important recognition,” said Jeffrey Gray, Firmwide Managing Partner at Davis Wright Tremaine. “We are committed to creating a work environment where great lawyers like Jenna and Danielle can flourish outside the traditional work schedule, and are grateful to have clients who are committed to working with us to make it possible,” he added.
Jenna Mooney is the local employment practice group chair for the Portland, Oregon office of Davis Wright Tremaine. She began a 75% schedule in 2005 when her first son was born and she now works an 80% schedule. She has built a significant book of business by focusing on her areas of strength, providing employment advice and proactive counsel to clients, and supporting business development. She credits working a reduced hours schedule early in her career for forcing her to think strategically about her long-term career goals. Ms. Mooney is also committed to providing mentoring and support to junior associates who are trying to maintain balance between career and personal goals.
One of her priorities is to ensure that her reduced hours schedule does not interfere with her availability to clients and has instead turned it into an advantage. “I am honest and up front with clients. They know that I often work from home, but I try to make sure they never feel as if I’m out of reach,” said Ms. Mooney. “I make sure I am as available to clients as my full-time counterparts.”
Ms. Mooney is being honored with her client Joe Mattoon, Chief Legal Officer of CLEAResult Consulting Inc. Mr. Mattoon credits Ms. Mooney with her ability to fulfill client expectations while also being honest about her personal commitments. “What I like is that Jenna is candid about her availability and transparent about her priorities. I respect her more for that and it bolsters my opinion of her legal advice – it’s grounded in values I share.”
Based in Washington, DC, Danielle Frappier is Co-Chair of the Communications Group at Davis Wright Tremaine and a member of its Executive Committee. She has worked an 80% schedule since her second daughter was born in 2008, and remained on that schedule when she became a contract partner of the firm in 2012 and an Equity Partner in 2014. Not only has the 20% reduction in hours allowed her to spend quality time with her family but she has also been able to focus on developing her practice in ways other than simply billing time. Ms. Frappier leads the firm’s Lifeline Team (which assists companies that provide subsidized phone services to low-income households) and she is regularly consulted by Congressional and regulatory staff seeking information on the industry and regulatory developments.
Ms. Frappier has successfully structured her practice with considerable flexibility so that she can be responsive to client needs at any time. In addition, her reduced hours schedule allows her to focus on associate skill development and firm business development, something she was unable to do to the same degree when billing a full-time schedule.
Ms. Frappier is being recognized for her work with her client Steven Fenker, President, Nexus Communications. In his nomination of her, Mr. Fenker said, “When someone with Danielle’s natural ability, total determination, and outstanding work ethic can still accomplish major achievements while working part time, such arrangements should be encouraged on a wide scale.”
Ms. Frappier also credits Mr. Fenker’s support. “I think what makes it work is that we both very much care about making Nexus a success and work hard to make that happen, while recognizing that family is important. The rest is details that get worked out.”
While the Alliance focuses on holistic flexibility, reduced hours is the most stigmatized form of flex. Accordingly the Flex Success™ Award recognizes partners at Alliance member organizations who are currently on a reduced hours schedule and a client, chosen by the attorney, that has been integral to making workplace flexibility a reality and a success. The honorees will be presented with the Flex Success™ Award at the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance’s 2016 Annual Conference, Diversity + Flexibility = Talent Success, which will be held on March 16, 2016 in Washington, DC.
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The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance is a think tank dedicated to creating work environments centered on inclusion and innovative thought leadership. The Alliance provides practical solutions that increase organizational effectiveness and create high performance cultures leveraging diversity and flexibility.
More information about the Alliance can be found at dfalliance.com.
Contact —
Manar Morales
President & CEO
manar@dfalliance.com
