Part-Time Lawyers Achieve Full Success

The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance Announces the 2013 Flex Success™ Honorees

WASHINGTON, DC, February 4, 2013 — Equity partners who are recognized as leaders in their fields and their firms, with significant books of business and deep client relationships, are standouts by any measure. When they have achieved this success while working reduced hours, they also become award winners – along with their clients who support them.

The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance (the “Alliance”) is proud to present the 2013 Flex Success™ Award to two attorney/client teams: Eve N. Howard, a corporate partner in the Washington, DC office of Hogan Lovells US LLP, and her client, Susan Herlick, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary at Orbital Sciences Corporation; and Marci Rose Levine, a Health & Life Sciences partner in the Washington, DC office of SNR Denton, and her client, Janine Friede, Senior Associate General Counsel, Walmart.

The Flex Success™ Award recognizes exemplary relationships between attorneys and clients, who together make professional success and work-life control a reality. The Awards will be presented at the Alliance’s 2013 Annual Conference, Advancing Women: Flex, Power, and Leadership on March 14, 2013 at the Washington, DC office of Jones Day.

“Each year, the nominations we receive for this award make it evident that there are many highly successful, reduced hours partners working in law firms. This year’s winners show that partners can have ‘Flex Success’ with a successful corporate practice, which traditionally has been thought to not be conducive to a reduced hours schedule, and as a relationship partner with a major firm client,” said Alliance President and CEO Manar Morales. “One key to these successful relationships is that today’s honoree partners, like all successful partners, are highly responsive to their clients’ needs, and the client honorees, who are confident that their needs will be met, are in turn respectful and supportive of the attorneys’ needs for work-life control whenever possible.”

The Honorees:

Eve N. Howard is an equity partner in Hogan Lovells’ corporate group in Washington, DC. Howard has been with Hogan Lovells for nearly 25 years, 11 of which she has worked on a reduced hours schedule. Her practice involves sophisticated capital market transactions for public companies, with a focus on debt securities. She works a 75 percent schedule, generally working in the office four days a week. Her schedule remains flexible, enabling Howard to work full time on very active deals and then scaling back during less busy times. “While a balanced schedule is very important to me,” noted Howard, “I take a flexible approach to it so I am able to ebb and flow with the demands of my practice.” Howard also serves as a mentor and role model, demonstrating that there is a path to success while working flexibly and that client service need not be jeopardized by such arrangements. Her leadership roles in the firm and the community include Co-Chair of the firm’s Alternative Work Arrangements Committee, Co-Chair of the Recruitment Committee, and as a trustee with leadership roles for two independent school boards. “In addition to maintaining a successful practice, Eve serves as a great role model for others in our firm,” said Emily Yinger, Hogan Lovells’ Regional Managing Partner for Washington, DC. “Her strong client relationship with Orbital Sciences Corporation exemplifies that attorney-client partnerships can thrive with lawyers using flexible schedules when communication and excellent service go hand-in-hand.”

Howard shares this award with Susan Herlick, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of Orbital Sciences Corporation. Orbital Sciences is one of the leading providers of small- and medium- class rockets and space systems for commercial, military, and civil government customers. Howard has represented Orbital Sciences for more than fifteen years, bringing the client to the firm and steadily building the relationship. “Our relationship is built on trust and mutual respect and my comfort that I will get top rate legal advice on a timely basis,” Herlick noted.

Marci Rose Levine is an equity partner with SNR Denton’s health and life sciences sector team and is a practice leader for the health care team. She works in her firm’s Washington, DC office. Levine has been on a reduced schedule since returning to work after her first child was born in 2002. She worked an 80 percent schedule for the next 10 years. During that time, she was promoted to partner and had twins. In 2012, Levine moved to a 90 percent schedule, generally leaving early Monday through Thursday and being available from home on Fridays. Levine exemplifies open communication with clients: “Not having to hide my flexible schedule from my clients fosters much more open communication around work priorities and deadlines,” while noting that “responsiveness is critical, regardless of whether I am in or out of the office.” Last year, SNR Denton’s Walmart Relationship Partner departed from the firm. Pursuant to Walmart’s policies to include a reduced hours partner in the panel for consideration, Levine was included in the firm’s panel based on her long-term relationship with the retailer’s health and wellness legal team. Walmart chose Levine, and she now manages SNR Denton’s relationship with Walmart, with all Walmart matters flowing through her. “Marci has developed a strong relationship with Walmart over the years, and was even recognized by Walmart for Excellent Performance and Commitment to Work-Life Balance at their SuperConference for outside counsel,” added Elliott Portnoy, SNR Denton’s Global Chief Executive. “We were thrilled when Walmart chose Marci to be their relationship partner, demonstrating their commitment to outstanding legal service and flexibility.”

Levine shares this award with Janine Freide, Senior Associate General Counsel of Walmart US Legal – Health & Wellness. With open communication, Janine sets realistic expectations and honest deadlines for matters assigned to Levine and her team, so that Levine can prioritize her schedule and the schedules of her team members. Both SNR Denton and Walmart are members of the Alliance’s Diversity & Flexibility Connection, a group of law firm chairs and general counsel who meet together to explore and implement best practices for inclusion through flexibility. “Walmart understands the critical role that work-life balance plays in retaining and advancing women in the legal profession,” said Jeffrey Gearhart, Walmart’s Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary. “Allowing attorneys to work flexible schedules enables us to retain the best legal talent available, both as outside counsel and internally.”

In making these awards, the Alliance is carrying forward the former Project for Attorney Retention’s practice of honoring two attorney-client teams annually to recognize the crucial role clients play in making workplace flexibility a reality. This is the fifth year that part-time partners and their clients have been honored with Flex Success™ Awards.

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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