Perkins Coie Earns Gold Standard Certification from The Women in Law Empowerment Forum

SEATTLE (June 14, 2011) – Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that it has earned a Gold Standard Certification from The Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF). The Gold Standard Certification seeks to certify, publicly recognize and broadly publicize law firms that have integrated women into the highest leadership positions in the firm.  Out of more than 300 firms that were invited to apply, Perkins Coie was chosen as one of only 32 firms that met the criteria. 

To be considered, law firms with 100 or more attorneys needed to show that women represent a meaningful percentage in three of the six areas: equity partners, firm chairs and office managing partners, governance committees, compensation committees, practice group leaders and most highly compensated partners.

As WILEF’s certification committee chairwoman, Ida Abbott, put it: “At a time when women are losing ground at some firms, it is wonderful to recognize 32 law firms where women are prominently represented at the highest levels of leadership and compensation. These firms prove that a commitment to the advancement of women can produce great results.”

Laura Whitaker, Chair of the Firmwide Executive Committee, says, "The Executive Committee  dedicates significant time and resources to increase leadership opportunities for women attorneys throughout the firm."

Perkins Coie’s Women’s Forum works with firm management to advance the firm’s efforts to retain, develop, promote and empower its women attorneys.  The Forum was founded in 2006 and is currently co-chaired by Phoenix-based partner Jessica Everett-Garcia and Portland-based partner Sarah Crooks. 

Co-chair Everett-Garcia says, “We have an amazing group of talented women attorneys who make important leadership contributions to the firm on a daily basis.  We are so pleased to be among the firms receiving recognition for their efforts to shape the opportunities for women in the legal profession.” 

Perkins Coie is dedicated to providing an inclusive work environment that provides all employees the opportunity to succeed. For nine consecutive years, Perkins Coie has been on FORTUNE magazine's list of "100 Best Companies to Work For." The firm was also recently named to the Yale Law Women Top Ten Family Friendly Firms for the third time in the past four years. It has also been recognized by Working Mother magazine and Flex Time Lawyers' as one of the "Best Law Firms for Women" in every consecutive survey year since 2008. The firm received a perfect 100% rank by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans, in the 2009 and 2010 Corporate Equality Index and Best Places to Work Survey.