(September 9, 2020) – Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has been honored for the eleventh time as one of the “Best Law Firms for Women” by Working Mother magazine. Littler is one of 60 firms recognized for utilizing best practices in the hiring, retention, promotion and development of women lawyers.
“We are proud to be recognized once again as a top law firm for women by Working Mother,” said Tom Bender and Jeremy Roth, co-managing directors of Littler in a joint statement. “With women representing more than 50% of our workforce at Littler, we remain focused on building a supportive working culture that not only attracts and retains talented female attorneys, but encourages their success both professionally and personally.”
Through intentional and meaningful programs and initiatives, the firm supports the advancement of women and diverse attorneys. These include the Women's Leadership Initiative (WLI), which focuses on developing and retaining women leaders. Presently, 33% of attorneys serving in leadership positions within the firm are women. Furthermore, the top two leadership positions at Littler will be held by women attorneys next year – Shareholder Kate Mrkonich Wilson currently serves as the firm’s Chair of the Board of Directors and Shareholder Erin Webber was recently elected as Littler’s next President and Managing Director, effective January 2021.
In addition, Littler’s award-winning Career Advocacy Program (CAP) has been instrumental in advancing women and diverse attorneys from the associate to shareholder level. The program pairs rising associate Protégés with shareholder Advocates and client Champions who encourage their career growth. Of the firm’s 2020 class of elevated shareholders, over one-third participated in CAP and 64% of the class were women.
As a part of Littler’s commitment to supporting attorneys who are also parents, the firm formed the Littler Parenting Initiative, a comprehensive program to address the needs and everyday issues of working parents while continuing to foster a positive culture around working families. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, navigating remote work with children at home became an immediate focus. The firm has partnered with Talking Talent, an award-winning consultancy and leadership development firm, to offer webinars, career-life coaching and other resources to attorneys who are parents.
As Littler transitioned to a remote working environment, the firm introduced new and expanded benefits and offerings to relieve some of the challenges of work-life balance. These include Bright Horizons, a referral resource to help with childcare; Outschool, which offers virtual learning and recreational options for children; and a Parenting Resources app that serves as a centralized location for all information related to parenting at the firm with a comprehensive list of resources.
“Law firms on this year’s list were better prepared to respond to the effects of the pandemic because of their continued support of flextime and remote work for working parents and caregivers,” said Subha V. Barry, president of Working Mother Media. “We are proud to recognize their resilience and steadfast commitment to supporting gender equality.”
In 2019, Littler was one of 17 firms that were inducted into Working Mother’s Hall of Fame – an honor for firms that have been on the list for 10 or more years. In addition to the Working Mother recognition, the firm continues to be recognized by organizations such as Law360, The American Lawyer and Vault, which have ranked Littler a top firm for women. Over the past year, Littler also earned Mansfield Certification Plus status from Diversity Lab, was named a top firm for flexible work options by Yale Law Women, and received Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum.
About Littler
With more than 1,500 labor and employment attorneys in offices around the world, Littler provides workplace solutions that are local, everywhere. Our diverse global team and proprietary technology foster a culture that celebrates original thinking, delivering groundbreaking innovation that prepares employers for what’s happening today, and what’s likely to happen tomorrow.