The Women In Law Empowerment Foundation announced today that 28 U.S. law firms and six U.K. law firms have been awarded Gold Standard Certification.

Every year, WILEF grants Gold Standard status to major firms that meet objective criteria involving the number of women among equity partners, in firm leadership positions, and in the ranks of their most highly compensated partners.

“We had 32 U.S. firms at this time last year and five U.K. firms, so we are down four U.S. firms but up one U.K. firm,” said Elizabeth “Betiayn” Tursi, WILEF’s Global Chair. “I say it every year: Law firms need to do better in terms of retention and promotion of women. It’s the same old story.”

“This year’s results confirm that in the firms that meet the threshold mandatory criteria, women lawyers are increasing their participation in firm governance and management consistent with the goals of WILEF,” said Nancy Bertoglio, Chair of the WILEF Certification Committee.

For 2023 U.S. Gold Standard Certification, a meaningful percentage means that the firm satisfies both the following two mandatory criteria:

• 25% of equity partners or, alternatively, 40% of the attorneys becoming equity partners during the past twelve months are women
• 10% of women equity partners are women of color, or 4% of women equity partners are LGBTQ

and at least two of the following four criteria:

• 20% of firm and U.S. branch office heads are women
• 25% of the firm’s primary governance committee are women
• 25% of the firm’s compensation committee or its equivalent are women
• 20% of the top half of the firm’s equity partners in terms of compensation are women

The following U.S. firms qualified by meeting the two mandatory criteria plus an additional two criteria:

Allen & Overy

Ballard Spahr

Cooley

Davis Wright Tremaine

Fish & Richardson

Foley & Lardner

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher

Hogan Lovells US

Jackson Lewis

Jenner & Block

K&L Gates

Kutak Rock

Latham & Watkins

Littler

Manatt Phelps & Phillips

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

Reed Smith

Sidley Austin

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

Stinson

Stoel Rives

Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Wilson Elser

WilmerHale

Sixteen of these firms met all six criteria: Ballard Spahr; Cooley; Hogan Lovells US; Jenner & Block; Littler; Manatt, Phelps & Phillips; Morgan Lewis & Bockius; Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart; Orrick; Paul Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; Reed Smith; Sidley Austin; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; Stoel Rives; WilmerHale; and Wilson Elser.

Four of the firms have been awarded Gold Standard Certification every year since WILEF began the award in 2011: Ballard Spahr; Davis Wright Tremaine; Littler; and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

One firm is new to the list:  Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

WILEF U.K. Gold Standard, firms needed to meet the mandatory criteria:

• 20% of equity partners or, alternatively, 33% of the attorneys becoming equity partners during the past twelve months are women

and at least two of the following four criteria:

• 20% of the firm’s primary governance committee are women
• 20% of the firm’s compensation committee or its equivalent are women
• 15% of the top half of the firm’s equity partners in terms of compensation are women
• 7% of women equity partners are non-white or 3.5% of women equity partners are LGBT

The following firms qualified for 2023 UK Certification:

Akin Gump

Allen & Overy

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Hogan Lovells

Reed Smith

Watson Farley & Williams

 

Akin Gump is new to the list.

Finally, four firms have met both the U.S. and U.K. Gold Standard: Allen & Overy; Hogan Lovells; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; and Reed Smith,