Seattle (May 12, 2014)—More than 200 of Perkins Coie’s women attorneys who practice in offices around the country and in Asia convened in Southern California’s Carlsbad recently for a retreat aimed at informing, empowering and inspiring them toward advancement in their practices and careers at the firm. The 2014 All Women Lawyers’ Retreat—which brought together women attorneys in the associate, counsel and partnership ranks—was presented by the firm’s Diversity Department and its Women’s Forum, a longstanding affinity group that works to attract, retain and promote women in the firm and to provide leadership and support on issues that impact the firm’s women attorneys.

The major event on April 24-26, which saw a turnout of 70 percent of the firm’s women attorneys, provided a unique opportunity for participants to gather for workshops on sharpening their professional and business development skills; interactive programs on topics of particular interest to women lawyers, including cross selling, building internal social capital, perfecting the “art of asking” and negotiating skills; and panel discussions on the meaning of “having it all.” The retreat also served as a venue for the firm’s women attorneys to network with colleagues and to collaborate with firm leaders, practice group chairs and members of the firm’s impact committees like the Executive Committee and Management Committee. The women lawyers and firm leaders worked together in various sessions exploring ideas for the advancement of women attorneys through the partnership tiers.

In keeping with the theme of “Inspire ourselves; empower each other,” a main attraction of the retreat included motivational keynote addresses from two successful women general counsel: Teri Plummer McClure of UPS and Michele Coleman Mayes of the New York Public Library.

McClure, the chief legal, communications and compliance officer for UPS, which is a client of Perkins Coie, oversees all UPS ethics and compliance, audit and legal initiatives in more than 200 countries and territories where the company does business.

She pointed out that the retreat for Perkins Coie’s women lawyers is a rare offering among law firms.

“This meeting is an example of the commitment that Perkins Coie is making to you all in giving you the opportunity to develop your skill sets and to give you the things that you need to be successful. There aren’t many firms that give this kind of support to women or to any of the younger people in the firm,” McClure said during her keynote address. “We need more and more of this. This is just an absolutely phenomenal thing to see. I think that as more law firms get into the habit of investing in their people and recognizing the cost of turnover, then it makes it a lot easier for the firm and the individuals to be successful.”

Mayes, who joined the New York Public Library in 2012 as its top lawyer, formerly served as general counsel for Allstate Insurance Company and Pitney Bowes Inc. She also served in several legal capacities at Colgate-Palmolive and in the U.S. Department of Justice as an assistant U.S. attorney in Detroit and Brooklyn.

Recognized as a leader in legal and philanthropic circles, Mayes drew on her experiences as she delivered her keynote address on what women attorneys can and should do, both as individuals and collectively, to empower themselves and support one another in achieving the highest levels of their aspirations. She wrapped up her talk with a final piece of advice for retreat attendees: “Take stock, take risks, take credit, take a hand and take a stand.”

Women at Perkins Coie make up 32 percent of all lawyers, 45 percent of associates and counsel and 22 percent of the partnership. Women hold 22 percent of the leadership positions at the firm—a number that distinguishes Perkins Coie as a leader among its peers.

“The firm is absolutely committed to supporting women in their careers and to helping women identify and claim the tools that we need to succeed and advance,” said Women’s Forum Co-Chair Ellen Conedera Dial, a partner in Perkins Coie’s Seattle office. “That is what this retreat is all about—exploring the ways that each of us can succeed and how we can inspire and support each other.”

Women’s Forum Co-Chair Jeanne Cullen, a partner in the firm’s Chicago office, said the retreat was designed to offer “a powerful opportunity for all of us to learn from each other, to connect with each other, to build relationships and to have our voices heard.”

Organizers of the All Women Lawyers’ Retreat also secured three high-level consultants to lead engaging sessions for the firm’s women attorneys.

Janice Brown, the founder of both the Brown Law Group, an employment law boutique, and Beyond Law, a consulting business focused on helping other lawyers reach their full potential—developmentally, professionally and financially, kicked off the retreat with a session for the firm’s women counsel on “Playing the Long Game: Building Your Practice to Achieve Success.”

Vernā Myers, a nationally recognized expert in diversity issues within law firms and other legal settings addressed the firm’s mid-level associates and junior associates in an interactive session focusing on identifying the roadmap and tools necessary for a successful career at the firm. Myers also presented a session for all retreat attendees on “Taking Charge of Your Career (Initiative, Ownership, Control and Stepping Outside of Your Comfort Zone).”

In two separate interactive sessions for associates and counsel, and for partners and senior counsel, law professor Lynn P. Cohn, the Director of the Center on Negotiation and Mediation at Northwestern Law School presented “Getting What She Wants” in which she identified key negotiation strategies for positive outcomes in both internal and external negotiations and presented research related to gender dynamics in the negotiation process.

Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high-value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,200 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.

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