Seyfarth Achieves 2021 Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum

Seyfarth is pleased to announce that it has been awarded Gold Standard Certification from the Women In Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) for 2021. WILEF Gold Standard Certification is among the most rigorous and prestigious of industry honors, where Seyfarth was among only 29 US law firms to earn this distinction in 2021.

Gold Standard status is granted annually by WILEF to a select group of law firms which successfully demonstrate that women represent a meaningful percentage of their equity partners, of their highest leadership positions, of their governance and compensation committees, and of their most highly compensated partners.

For 2021 US Gold Standard Certification, a meaningful percentage means that firms satisfied both the following two mandatory criteria:

• 25% of equity partners or, alternatively, 40% of the attorneys becoming equity partners during the past 12 months are women
• 10% of women equity partners are women of color or 4% of women equity partners are LGBT

And at least two of the following four criteria:

• 20% of the 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

A recognized industry leader in law firm inclusion and diversity, Seyfarth has instituted several award-winning programs that have been acknowledged in various awards, including Chambers USA's Diversity & Inclusion awards, Diversity & Flexibility Alliance's "Tipping the Scales" award, and Working Mother magazine's "Best Law Firms for Women."  This month, the firm renewed its commitment to Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule, which measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered at least 30 percent women, lawyers from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, lawyers with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ lawyers for top leadership roles, senior-level lateral hiring, promotions into the equity partnership, and participation in client pitch meetings. Today, 43% of Seyfarth’s executive committee are women.

WILEF is the premier organization for women in law exclusively dedicated to women from the largest law firms and corporate law departments in the United States. Visit here to learn more about the 2021 WILEF Gold Standard Certification recipients.