Miller & Chevalier Chair’s Career Exemplifies Successful Use of Flex Schedules
Washington, DC (September 27, 2023) – The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance has announced that Kathryn Cameron Atkinson, Chair of Miller & Chevalier Chartered, will receive its 2023 Flex Leader Award. The Flex Leader Award recognizes an executive who is moving their organization toward a more inclusive workplace through holistic flexibility. The Award will be presented on Thursday, November 2 during the Alliance’s annual conference in Washington, DC, Humanizing the Workplace: Thriving Beyond the Global Reset. Registration is open to non-members and is available here.
“By building and maintaining a thriving practice and ascending to the position of Firm Chair while working a flexible schedule for more than 25 years, Kate Atkinson exemplifies the powerful benefits of flexibility,” said Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. “We selected her as our 2023 Flex Leader because she not only serves as a role model for other professionals, but she has also helped to build an organizational culture that celebrates holistic flexibility and encourages her colleagues to create unique career paths that work for them.”
“I am delighted to accept the Diversity and Flexibility Alliance’s Flex Leader Award, which spotlights the idea that flexibility can smooth rather than derail the path to professional excellence and sustainable success,” said Kathryn Cameron Atkinson. “I am grateful to Miller & Chevalier for agreeing to break new ground more than 25 years ago and learning how to walk the path with me and my colleagues. Allowing for flexibility – simply that, no more, no less – helps people bring their whole selves to work, and that can make all the difference.”
Kathryn Cameron Atkinson joined Miller & Chevalier as an Associate in 1992 and held multiple leadership positions before becoming Firm Chair in 2019. For more than 25 years of her impressive career at the firm, she has worked a flexible schedule, allowing her to balance her significant client responsibilities and firm citizenship with her family commitments. She notes that her success came “largely because of, not in spite of, the flexible schedule,” by providing “space to bring my full energy and my whole self to my family and my career, rather than feeling I was always trading one off against the other.” By embracing flexibility, Miller & Chevalier has been able to attract, grow, and retain top talent and create a culture of inclusivity, trust, and support.
In addition to serving as Firm Chair of Miller & Chevalier, Kathryn Cameron Atkinson maintains her practice focused on advising global clients on international corporate compliance and related governance and investigations, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), economic sanctions, export controls, business and human rights, and anti-money laundering laws. Described by Chambers USA as a “leading figure in the world of FCPA compliance,” Ms. Atkinson has been selected three times as a government-appointed Independent Compliance Monitor pursuant to FCPA resolutions.
For more than a decade, the Diversity and Flexibility Alliance has collaborated with organizations to develop inclusive flexible working cultures that cultivate diversity in leadership, drive workplace wellbeing, and foster a more humanized work experience. The Alliance provides practical research-based solutions, customizable training programs, strategic advisory services and a peer-learning network that increase organizational effectiveness through diversity and flexibility.
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Contact: Manar Morales
301-580-2490
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Jessamine Lee: Flexibility has been a key to my success at Wolf Greenfield. After coming back to work from having my first child 11 years ago, I went on an 80% schedule. I was a junior associate at the time. I stayed on an 80-90% schedule through having my second child three years later and then becoming Counsel and a Shareholder at the firm. During that same time, I also had a flexible arrangement in which I worked remotely twice a week. The firm was supportive of my requests and made it possible for me to have this alternative work arrangement during a time when it was not common to do so. I had a lot of help from my colleagues. For example, at times when my workload was too high, I was able to transfer work to other colleagues who had more bandwidth at the time. This is a testament to Wolf Greenfield’s collegiality and culture – we work as a team. I also set boundaries, made expectations clear to both my colleagues and clients as to when I was available, and inquired about firm and client expectations as well. Of course, there were times when urgent projects needed to get done, but for the most part everyone was respectful of these boundaries and I was able to meet the expectations of those I worked with.
Katelyn Miller: Upon returning from maternity leave after the birth of my first child in 2015, I transitioned to an alternative schedule. I had wonderful role models at my prior firm who guided me through the process of requesting and moving to a flexible schedule. When my daughter was one, I moved to Seyfarth. After receiving an offer, I very nervously called the head of our Litigation Department and asked whether I could join the firm on an 80% schedule. Within hours, I received a response that Seyfarth would be happy to accommodate my schedule. It was clear from the beginning that in addition to providing exceptional client service, Seyfarth truly valued its team members and provided different opportunities and avenues for its professionals to succeed.
Liz Dillon, Partner, Lathrop GPM LLP
Elise Attridge: After my first child was born in 2016, I started working at an 80% reduced hour schedule. At that time, I had been a Litigation Associate at Morgan Lewis for five years.