Seramount, now part of EAB, revealed the Best Law Firms for Women today, recognizing firms that utilize best practices in recruiting, retaining, promoting, and developing women lawyers. Erickson Immigration Group, a leading global business immigration firm, was among the 50 firms that earned spots on this year’s list.
“Our Best Law Firms for Women continue to improve in many critical areas,” said Subha V. Barry, president of Seramount. “Representation of women managing partners has increased significantly and we’ve seen progress for multicultural women lawyers at every level. Our firms recognize the importance of recruiting and retaining this important talent pool and have developed the family-friendly benefits to prove it. All of these combined are important steps toward parity.”
Erickson Immigration Group is 50% minority female-owned; 82% of legal management (Senior Managing Attorneys, Managing Attorneys, Senior Attorneys) are women, and 56% of legal management are women of color. In total, 73% of EIG attorneys are women; 70% of the female attorneys are persons of color. Across all genders, 58% of EIG attorneys are persons of color, and over 50% are first-generation Americans.
“A priority of EIG’s leadership — from partners and across all teams — is to identify and eliminate bias and foster representation so that the successes within EIG are not “one-in-a-million” but rather make the professional journey easier for many more who follow,” said Hiba Mona Anver, EIG Partner and Shareholder.
EIG’s investments in best-in-class benefits, including those focused on mental and emotional health and overall wellbeing, outside guest speakers and experts, remote and hybrid work options, and the EIG Women in the Law program have built a collegial support network that encourages professional and personal goal achievement.
Highlights of the 2022 Best Law Firms for Women:
- The percentage of women managing partners (or equivalent prominent leader and spokesperson for the firm, other than the chairperson or equivalent) increased to 43 percent, up from 34 percent in 2021.
- Critical assignments went to women, further leveling the playing field: 38 percent of members of the firms’ management committees were women (vs. 35 percent last year); 38 percent of those deciding promotions to equity partner were women (vs. 34 percent last year), and 36 percent of those determining compensation were women (vs. 34 percent last year).
- There are more multicultural (MCW) women at every level: 29 percent of all women lawyers were MCW (vs. 27 percent last year); 36 percent of women associates were MCW (vs. 34 percent last year); 18 percent of women equity partners were MCW (vs. 16 percent last year), and 22 percent of women equity partners promoted were MCW (vs. 18 percent last year).
- As hiring and retention became more competitive, law firms stepped up their family-friendly benefits: The average fully paid gender-neutral parental leave for associates increased to 16 weeks (vs. 13 weeks last year); 67 percent of firms now cover in-vitro fertilization (vs. 52 percent last year), and 80 percent of firms are now hybrid workplaces.
About the Methodology
Seramount’s 2022 Best Law Firms for Women application includes more than 300 questions about attorney demographics at different levels, flexibility, paid time off and parental leaves, and development and retention of women. Questions also include ability to work from home some of the time, family-friendly benefits, and mentoring and sponsorship participation.