Tag Archive for: Bright Spot

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Bright Spot: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Billable Hours

In an effort to inform and inspire our members and friends, we often share diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact an organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction. 

 

BRIGHT SPOT – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Billable Hours

Recent Bright Spots in the legal community are new Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Hours Policies implemented by several law firms in which employees can accrue billable hours towards their annual target by participating in efforts that advance DE&I.

Some examples of projects that may qualify for DE&I billable hours include:

  • Serving in leadership positions on committees or subcommittees related to diversity;
  • Managing diversity projects;
  • Presenting materials for use in diversity training or programming;
  • Attending internal or external diversity trainings;
  • Participating in affinity group activities; and
  • Representing the firm at diversity-based job fairs and recruiting events.

IMPACT

We are happy to report that we’ve seen a very positive Ripple Effect to these new policies and many firms are now jumping on the DE&I billable hours bandwagon. Examples of firms that have instituted a DE&I billable hours policy include (but are not limited to): Ogletree Deakins, Davis Wright Tremaine, Cooley and Hogan Lovells, as well as one of the early pioneers of this trend Dorsey & Whitney who implemented their policy in 2019.

It’s important to note that Reed Smith seems to be one of the first firms to extend their policy to its business professionals. Further, in April of this year, Foley Hoag announced that there would be no hours cap on its DE&I billable hours allowing all timekeepers limitless billable credit for their DE&I projects and recruiting efforts.

Hopefully this trend signifies a true commitment to change for the legal industry and we will begin to see more gender and racial equity across the board.

 

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and filling out THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com.

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Bright Spot: Chapman and Cutler’s Virtual Coffee Chats

In an effort to inform and inspire our members and friends, we often share diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact an organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction. 

BRIGHT SPOT – Chapman and Cutler – Virtual Coffee Chats

During the COVID -19 pandemic, many professionals have voiced concerns about the lack of “water cooler moments” with everyone working from home. In particular, some new Associates have found it difficult to network and find firm mentors while working remotely. The Talent Development office at law firm, Chapman and Cutler, came up with a creative, yet simple, solution to this new challenge. By creating a system for Virtual Coffee Chats, Chapman has been able to connect younger Associates with more senior colleagues for casual networking coffees.

The goal of the system was to make it easy for senior Partners to connect with First Year and Summer Associates for a 20-30 minute one-on-one Zoom call. The Zoom scheduling links were created to automatically schedule the coffees and add them to individual calendars. Therefore, no one was overburdened with scheduling the calls and the time commitment was minimal.

As an added incentive the Talent Development Office sent specialty coffees and teas – all provided by black or minority-owned businesses – to encourage participants and create a fun environment. This small incentive provided a very positive impact to firm culture.

IMPACT

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and many Partners and Associates plan to continue these virtual coffees long after the pandemic. Associates have really enjoyed meeting the Senior Partners and learning about best practices and new client projects. The Partners have appreciated the opportunity to meet the new Associates and pass down some good practice tips. The coffees have also helped with inter-office collaboration and one-on-one mentorship. There’s no doubt these mentoring relationships will continue to thrive beyond COVID.

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and filling out THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com.

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Bright Spot: Katten’s Sabbatical

In an effort to inform and inspire our members and friends, we often share diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact an organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction. 

BRIGHT SPOT: Katten’s Sabbatical Program

Law firm Katten, Muchin Rosenman’s Associate Sabbatical Program is a unique Bright Spot because it offers the firm’s Associates a four-week, paid sabbatical once they have completed their fifth year at the firm. Associates must also meet their hours’ requirement two out of the three previous years to be eligible. The Sabbatical program has been in place since 2001 and allows Associates to take four weeks off for any activity or reason of their choosing. Associates are not required to submit any kind of formal plan for the sabbatical – Associates may take trips, dive into personal projects, extend family leaves, or use the Sabbatical for anything else that they choose.

The most remarkable aspect of Kattan’s Sabbatical program is that virtually ALL (95%) Associates take advantage of this benefit and many plan for the time off long in advance. Katten reports that equal numbers of men and women participate and it is quite unusual not to take advantage of the Sabbatical. This high level of participation demonstrates Katten’s supportive firm culture and a leadership that truly values flexibility and employee wellness. Associates are not afraid of any negative stigma that could be associated with taking time away from the office, and, in fact, participation in this program is encouraged by Partners and other leadership.

The Sabbatical is also available to lateral Associates after they have been with Katten the required five years. If multiple Associates are eligible at the same time, Practice Group Leaders are responsible for coordinating the schedules to ensure client coverage. The Associates’ billable hours are protected during the sabbatical so that targets and bonuses are not impacted.

Katten Chief Executive Officer Noah S. Heller views the Sabbatical program as a “way to reward Associates for their dedication, and a means of enhancing their work-life balance. By offering them the opportunity to temporarily step away from their daily work responsibilities, we give them a chance to recharge and come back to work re-energized.”

IMPACT

The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance recognized Kattan’s Sabbatical Program as one of our 2020 Flex Impact Awards during our annual conference, Moments of Impact: Transforming Organizational Culture. It is our hope that the ripple affect will be that other firms and corporations are encouraged to consider offering their employees sabbaticals as well.

Kattan reports that its Sabbatical program is instrumental in its recruiting efforts and has helped them to recruit and retain top talent. Additionally, leadership states that the Sabbatical provides Associates with a “boost in morale, productivity and creativity.”

 

 

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and completing THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com

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Bright Spot: Kutak Rock’s COVID-19 Response

In an effort to inform and inspire our members and friends, we often share diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact an organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction. 

BRIGHT SPOT

Kutak Rock’s operating procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic are clear Bright Spots that demonstrate its people-first philosophy. Before the COVID-19 National Emergency was declared on March 13, 2020, the firm’s Regional Managing Partner for D.C. and Virginia had begun discussions with firm leadership about operating procedures aimed at keeping people safe at home and working. The procedures, which remain today and apply to all staff and attorneys, allowed for 100% remote working on a “reason-neutral” basis.

Kutak Rock leadership worked with each employee on a case-by-case basis to ensure that everyone continued to be productive and maintain their positions and their employment status while working remotely.  The focus continues to be on keeping all employees and offices safe from COVID (first and foremost) and helping every individual become productive in this unique COVID work environment.

The firm also made it a priority to provide several training sessions focused on remote learning, including:

  1. A weekly set of training options about the logistics of remote work (submitting time, setting up a printer, security, etc.);
  2. A seminar attended by over 90% of the firm’s associates focused on ongoing professional development in a remote work environment;
  3. Annual inclusiveness training with information about creating inclusive working teams in remote and hybrid remote/in-person environments; and,
  4. A session with firm leadership with information about building teams in a remote or hybrid remote/in-person environment.

In addition, the firm created a guide for employees and a guide for leadership with tips for working remotely. All employees were also provided a resource kit with information about inclusiveness and bias in remote environments.

In keeping with its “people-first” mindset, the firm continues to communicate with employees on a regular basis about the performance of the firm in an effort to relieve anxiety and stress caused by COVID-related uncertainty and countless legal industry articles talking about furloughs, lay-offs, and firms with difficult financial situations.  The firm also, repeatedly, reminds employees to take care of their mental and physical health.  The firm sent information about benefits available to all employees related to mental and physical health and has created a Mindfulness Group that has met every Friday since the beginning of April.

Kutak Rock has made it a priority to maintain its commitment to diversity and inclusion during the shut-down. Since March 11, the firm has finished all of the tactics in its three-year inclusiveness, diversity, and engagement strategic plan, developed the goals and tactics for its new three-year strategic plan, and has had the plan approved by the Executive Committee.  In addition, the firm ran its annual training program (by Zoom) with well over half of the firm attending and 80+% of leadership attending.  Affinity groups continue to meet and new initiatives have been added.

IMPACT

While some Kutak Rock offices have allowed employees to return to the office for limited amounts of time and a targeted purpose in recent weeks, almost all employees continue to work remotely. Many employees voiced their appreciation for the firm’s focus on their and their community’s safety.

Over the long-term, the COVID-specific operating procedures will be transformed into a flexible working arrangement policy similar to the current procedures. The primary goals will continue to be focused on allowing flexible working arrangements, on a reason-neutral basis, while also maintaining the function of the team in a way that supports the clients, individuals and firm.

 

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and completing THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com

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Bright Spot: Ogletree, Deakins’ Family Leave Policy and Supporting Initiatives

In an effort to inform and inspire our members and friends, we often share diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact an organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction. 

BRIGHT SPOT

Ogletree Deakins’ gender-neutral Family Leave policy is an impressive Bright Spot.   Comprehensively developed, this policy provides a wide range of support mechanisms for attorneys during and following their family leave.

Ogletree’s family leave initiative includes the following benefits:

  • A gender-neutral Paid Parental Leave (PPL) benefit of up to 16 weeks salary is provided to any attorney on an approved leave after the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child.
  • To further help ease an attorney’s transition back to work after the leave, the firm provides an additional on-ramping program which allows for reduced billable hours for a limited period of time. Attorneys are not required to formally request on-ramping and the program does not affect compensation.
  • Attorneys who are parents also have access to an on-demand back-up childcare service in the event of last minute childcare needs. (This service is also available for the care of an aging parent or other adult dependents.)
  • A “Milk Stork” program supports nursing mothers by coordinating the shipment of milk when the mother is traveling on firm business.
  • A business resource group, ODFamily, serves as a resource to assist parents transitioning back to work.
  • Each new parent has access to an e-course that helps new parents prepare for the transition back to work and offers web community support for questions and resources. New parents are also given a copy of Mindful Return: Back to Work After Baby.

IMPACT

By offering such an inclusive family leave benefit, Ogletree hopes to not only promote and advance women, but to also show its commitment to all new parents, and significantly influence the retention of all of its valuable employees at a critical point in their family life and career.

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and completing THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com

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Bright Spot: Dickinson Wright’s Staff Parental Leave Policy

In an effort to inform and inspire our members and friends, we often share diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact an organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction. 

Dickinson Wright’s Staff Parental Leave Policy

BRIGHT SPOT

Detroit-based law firm, Dickinson Wright has implemented a paid parental leave policy for its staff. The new policy, implemented January 1, 2020, allows staff to take up to 12 weeks of full-paid leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child. The policy is gender neutral and outlines new processes for off-ramping and on-ramping employees.

The Office Administrator and supervisors provide staff members with off-ramping support such as alternative schedule options, re-allocation of work and remote work opportunities. When the staff member returns from parental leave, the firm provides on-ramping benefits including a gradual return schedule, workload planning support, guidance on dealing with any implicit bias, and options for alternative schedules. The Office Administrator continues to check in with employees following a leave for up to one year to make sure that there are no concerns.

The firm has also designated a Parental Leave Coordinator who helps to manage communications between the employee, his or her supervisors, the Office Administrator, the Director of Human Resources and the firm’s Staff Parental Leave Sub-Committee of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee.  The firm also offers a complimentary Employee Assistance Plan for additional resources before, during and after parental leave.

The new staff paid parental leave policy was a core initiative for the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee for 2019 and reflects the firm’s desire to continuously improve the work environment for all employees. The firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee led the effort in conjunction with firm management and the Staff Parental Leave Sub-Committee (comprised of both lawyers and non-lawyer staff members).

IMPACT

The response from Dickinson Wright employees has been very positive and the firm has seen an uptick in morale from both attorneys and staff. Recognizing that its non-attorney policy was outdated and did not reflect the current dynamics of working families, the firm demonstrated that it values its staff and believes in supporting all employees.  Further, the firm is showing its commitment to retaining and recruiting highly talented staff members. This initiative has strengthened the culture of inclusivity at the firm and will be seen as an asset when recruiting prospective employees.

 

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and completing THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com

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Bright Spot: Ogletree Deakins’ Women’s Initiative

In an effort to inform and inspire our members and friends, we often share diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact an organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction. 

Ogletree Deakins’ Women’s Initiative

 

BRIGHT SPOT

The women’s initiative at Ogletree Deakins is a Bright Spot as it has enhanced the firm’s ability to retain and advance female attorneys at a remarkable rate. Stemming from the desire to increase the number of women in leadership, the process began with the creation of a Women’s Task Force. This force helped to identify the issues women were facing and made recommendations on potential solutions.

With this information, Ogletree implemented the following strategies and programs:

  • Ombudsman: A former board member was made available to assist firm lawyers in resolving work-related concerns and conflicts in an informal, confidential, and impartial manner.
  • Credit Guidelines: A review of origination credit guidelines paired with the realization that it is often difficult for women to have conversations with senior men regarding credit, gave way to change. Ogletree’s credit origination guidelines were refreshed to enhance clarity, promote collaboration, and help all attorneys address and handle difficult situations and advocate on their own behalf.
  • Compensation Process: Ogletree has an open compensation system. A new compensation appeals process was created to enhance transparency and reduce concerns about peers’ compensation, and an independent pay equity audit was conducted. Throughout the process, the firm made sure there was significant representation from women.
  • Sponsorship Program: Ogletree took a very deliberate and intentional look at the pipeline and decided to create a sponsorship program to increase opportunities for women to move from non-equity to equity positions within the firm. In 2018, the first year of sponsorships, 78% of women were promoted to equity status.
  • Business Accelerator Program: Ogletree’s new Business Accelerator Program (BAP) is designed to give high-performing female, non-equity shareholders, a boost as they progress toward the equity opportunity. This nine-month cohort experience focuses on business development to improve skills, gain exposure, and increase their books of business. In 2019, 100% of BAP participants agreed that the program helped them increase or acquire new skills, and would be of value for others.

IMPACT

The investment in these programs and initiatives has allowed the firm to reach impressive milestones. In the last two years, the firm’s New Partner Classes have had 50% or more women, 29% of the firm’s Managing Shareholders are women, and 33% of the firm’s board are women. Ogletree’s leadership continues to demonstrate commitment to the women’s initiative and looks forward to continued success in this arena.

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and completing THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com

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Bright Spot: Firms that Are “Tipping the Scales” In Favor of Women Partners

In an effort to inform and inspire our members and friends, we often share diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact an organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction. 

Law Firms that Are “Tipping the Scales” With 50% or More Women in Their 2019 New Partner Class

 

BRIGHT SPOT

At our 2019 Annual Conference, we recognized fifty-one law firms for having 50% or more women in their 2019 U.S.-based new partner class. The firms, recognized as “Tipping the Scales,” were identified through our New Partner Report, a compilation of public data and self-reported sources released each year for the past eight years. The Report revealed that 41.3 percent of new partners in 138 major U.S. law firms in 2019 were women, surpassing last year’s mark by 2.4 percentage points. The Executive Summary is publicly available here.

The “Tipping the Scales” firms recognized for having 50% or more women in their 2019 new partner class included:

1.     Akerman

2.     Alston & Bird

3.     Arent Fox

4.     Arnold & Porter

5.     Ballard Spahr

6.     Boies Schiller Flexner

7.     Bracewell

8.     Cahill Gordon & Reindel

9.     Cravath, Swaine & Moore

10. Crowell & Moring

11. Davis Polk & Wardwell

12. Davis Wright Tremaine

13. Debevoise & Plimpton

14. Dentons

15. Dickinson Wright

16. Drinker Biddle & Reath

17. Duane Morris

18. Epstein Becker & Green

 

 19. Eversheds Sutherland

20. Fenwick & West

21. Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy

22. Gibbons

23. Goodwin Procter

24. Goldberg Kohn

25. Hogan Lovells

26. Jackson Lewis

27. Jones Day

28. K&L Gates

29. Lathrop Gage

30. Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith

31. Littler Mendelson

32. Manatt, Phelps & Phillips

33. McGuireWoods

34. Miles & Stockbridge

35. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

 

 36. Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart

37. O’Melveny & Myers

38. Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein

39. Perkins Coie

40. Polsinelli

41. Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

42. Schiff Hardin

43. Seyfarth Shaw

44. Shook, Hardy & Bacon

45. Shutts & Bowen

46. Thompson & Knight

47. Van Ness Feldman

48. White & Case

49. Williams & Connolly

50. Wolf Greenfield

51. Womble Bond Dickinson

 

IMPACT

The impact of this Bright Spot can be seen in the industry as a whole – the 2019 New Partner Report found that the percentage of women promoted to partnership in major U.S. law firms has increased by 8.1 percent since 2012. Additionally, this Bright Spot indicates that individual firms are recognizing the importance of gender parity in their leadership and on their teams. We hope the ripple effect of this Bright Spot will be that organizations of all types will continue to recognize the need for a true commitment to an intentional and proactive strategy to retain and advance women.

PHOTO: Representatives from major law firms pose with Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance, after receiving their “Tipping the Scales” Recognition at the Alliance’s 2019 Annual Conference in Washington, DC on November 7, 2019. Photo Credit: Birch Thomas (photosbybirch.com).

 

 

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and completing THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com

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Bright Spot: Hogan Lovells’ Agile Working Initiative

 

In 2019, we will be sharing diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact your organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction. 

BRIGHT SPOT

Hogan Lovells – Agile Working Initiative

One of international law firm, Hogan Lovells’ Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots is its Global Agile Working Initiative. Launched in 2016, this initiative allows all attorneys and business services members in all offices worldwide to adopt an agile working plan. Employees who choose to adopt an agile working arrangement may utilize a combination of flexible working options including remote working, reduced hours, staggered arrival and departure times, job sharing, and telecommuting. Hogan Lovells even developed a “tool kit” to help explain and implement the policy.

IMPACT

Agile working at Hogan Lovells has allowed the firm to improve talent retention, promote stronger engagement, create a new sense of community, and has given its employees more control over how to balance their personal and professional lives. Lawyers at Hogan Lovells report satisfaction with their arrangements and have shared that the options and flexibility provided by the firm are key in their decision to stay at the firm. The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance honored Hogan Lovells in 2017 with one of our inaugural Flex Impact Awards. While benefitting men and women, the Global Agile Working Initiative has had the added bonus of helping the firm make significant progress towards its goal of having women make up 30 percent of its partners by 2022. Hogan Lovells was also the honoree for Dell’s Outside Counsel Diversity Award.

Hogan Lovells has shown that flexible working can result in increased efficiency, productivity, diversity and business success. Hopefully other US firms and corporations will learn from Hogan’s success and truly embrace flexibility on a global level.

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and completing THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com

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Bright Spot: Winston & Strawn’s Gender-Neutral Parental Leave Policy

 

In 2019, we will be sharing diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact your organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction. 

BRIGHT SPOT

One of international law firm Winston & Strawn’s Bright Spots is its Gender-Neutral Parental Leave Policy. After working with the Alliance to clearly identify employee needs and firm goals, Winston & Strawn was able to expand its parental leave policy to better support the demands of today’s families. Implemented in 2016, the policy allows 20 weeks of paid leave for attorneys regardless of gender to care for and bond with a new baby or child. Additionally, parents are not required to designate themselves as “primary” or “secondary” caregivers. The parental leave can be taken at one time or in two increments within a year of the birth or adoption of a child.

Winston also developed a Parental Leave Transition Support Program that includes a Parental Leave Liaison, an external, confidential career coach, and “ramp down” and “ramp up” periods during which billable hours are adjusted to aid in the transition for new parents. The policy applies to all US-based Associates and Of Counsel attorneys. Improvements also were made to the policies for practice attorneys and staff.

IMPACT

By removing the primary and secondary caregiver designations, Winston & Strawn has been able to shift the focus of parental leave from one that focuses on just women to one that focuses on all parents. Since the implementation of the policy, the firm has seen a consistent year-over-year increase in the percentage of men taking parental leave, as well as the length of leave time taken by men. For example, the average length of parental leave taken by men in 2018 was more than double the average length of time taken prior to the implementation of the policy. In addition, in 2018, over 20% of men taking parental leave took 18-20 weeks, in either one or two increments.

The Parental Leave Liaison and coach have been instrumental in helping attorneys maintain their connection to the firm and feel supported before, during and after their leave, with many associates choosing to participate in the firm-provided coaching. The policy has allowed parents at Winston & Strawn to find long-term career success while also caring for their families. Winston received Family Leave category honors in Yale Law Women’s “Top Family Friendly Firms of 2017,” an honor that will undoubtedly impact recruitment.

Since receiving the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance’s 2017 Flex Impact Award, Winston & Strawn has been seen as a trailblazer in the field. The firm is helping to drive innovation and inspire other firms to reevaluate their policies to better meet the needs of today’s families. The Alliance has seen an increase in these types of Gender-Neutral policies which can have a significant impact on the culture of flexibility and can clearly impact recruitment and retention.

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and completing THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com