& Sterling Earns Women in Law Empowerment Forum ‘Gold Standard’ Certification for the Third Time


The Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) has awarded Shearman & Sterling its third Gold Standard Certification, in recognition of the firm’s commitment to integrating women into leadership roles.

The WILEF Gold Standard status is granted to major law firms that meet objective criteria as it relates to the number of women among equity partners, in firm leadership positions and in the ranks of their most highly compensated partners.

Firms must meet at least four of the following seven criteria to be awarded this certification:

  • 20 percent of US equity partners or, alternatively, one-third of attorneys who became US equity partners within the previous 12 months, are women
  • 15 percent of the heads of the firm and its US branch office heads combined are women
  • 20 percent of the members of the firm’s primary governance committee are women
  • 20 percent of the members of the committee that determines equity partner compensation are women
  • 25 percent of US practice group leaders/department heads are women
  • 15 percent of the top half of US equity partners in terms of compensation are women
  • 7 percent of US women equity partners are women of color and/or 3.5 percent of them are LGBT

Shearman & Sterling is particularly proud to be awarded the 2017 award, as the firm was one of only seven law firms to meet all seven of the certification criteria.

Law firms with 300 or more practicing lawyers in the United States are eligible for 2017 WILEF Gold Standard Certification if they successfully demonstrate that women represent a meaningful percentage of their equity partners, of their highest leadership positions, of their governance and compensation committees, of their most highly compensated partners and that there be meaningful diversity among their women partners.

‘Our WILEF Gold Standard status demonstrates the firm’s continued progress and commitment to promoting and retaining its exceptional female talent. Shearman & Sterling is proud to be acknowledged as a leading law firm in this effort,’ said partner Doreen Lilienfeld (New York- Compensation, Governance & ERISA), a WILEF Advisory Board member.

Shearman & Sterling LLP published this content on 12 June 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 12 June 2017 18:54:10 UTC.


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