Smith Moore Leatherwood Selected as a Top Law Firm for Women
August 11, 2009
Only firm in the Carolinas selected by Working Mother magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers
GREENVILLE, SC – August 11, 2009 – Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP has been named one of the 50 Best Law Firms for Women by Working Mother magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers. The firm, with over 180 attorneys working from Greenville and five other offices throughout the Southeast, was selected based on its continued attention to incorporating family friendly policies, focusing on work-life balance and demonstrating concern for issues impacting women professionals.
“We are thrilled to receive this recognition,” says Julie Theall a partner and leader in the firm’s labor and employment practice in its Greensboro office. “Smith Moore Leatherwood’s philosophy is that one size doesn’t necessarily fit all. If we can create a solution to work-life balance issues that is both good for our clients and good for our professionals, it is a win-win. Practicing law is hard work and we don’t believe in building artificial barriers that make it harder.”
The only firm selected from the Carolinas, nearly 25 percent of Smith Moore Leatherwood’s full equity partners are women, many of whom are also parents. The firm encourages its attorneys to think broadly about alternative work arrangements, including flex-time schedules and working from home, and incorporates the work-life balance concept into its set of core values.
Smith Moore Leatherwood’s female attorneys also play a key role in the professional development of the firm’s future leaders through mentorship and leadership training programs. Among its many endeavors, the firm founded the PINK program (Promoting Inspiration, Networking and Knowledge) as a mentoring and networking forum aimed at inspiring its female attorneys through the sharing of ideas, articles, conference information and legal news and trends.
“The recession has created a shift in the legal industry and now is the time to push through mutually-beneficial, cost-effective reforms that directly benefit work-life balance and allow working moms to succeed both at home and in the court room,” says Carol Evans, president of Working Mother Media. “We salute the 2009 Best Law Firms for recognizing that making the legal profession work for women is good business for everyone.”
According to Working Mother, the 50 Best Law Firms for Women are leading the charge for change. Based on a national average, the 50 winning firms employ more lawyers who work reduced, family-friendly hours (eight percent versus five percent nationwide), and employ more female equity partners who share in their firm’s profits (20 percent versus 16 percent nationwide).
The 2009 Best Law Firms for Women application was developed in partnership between Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers. Firms with at least 50 lawyers were eligible for nomination, and the 50 winning firms were selected based on their workforce profile, family-friend benefits and policies, flexibility, leadership, compensation, advancement and retention of women.
The 50 Best Law Firms for Women and their work-life and women-friendly policies are highlighted in the August/September issue of Working Mother and at www.workingmother.com <http://www.workingmother.com> and www.flextimelawyers.com/best.asp <http://www.flextimelawyers.com/best.asp> .
About Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP
Tracing its roots to 1919, Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP counsels clients throughout the Southeast, the nation and abroad. Recognized for a personal commitment to solving complex legal issues, Smith Moore Leatherwood attorneys bring a passion for excellence, teamwork and innovation to their representation of clients in over 80 practice areas and industry groups. Smith Moore Leatherwood has more than 180 attorneys practicing out of offices in Charlotte, NC; Raleigh, NC; Greensboro, NC; Wilmington, NC; Greenville, SC and Atlanta, GA. Visit http://www.smithmoorelaw.com for more information.
About Working Mother Media
Celebrating 30 years, Working Mother magazine reaches 2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers while workingmother.com brings to the Web a broad range of insight and solutions served to working mothers every day. Working Mother’s 24-year signature research initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, is the most important benchmark for work/life practices in corporate America. With offices in New York and Washington, D.C., Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corp. includes the National Association for Female Executives, Diversity Best Practices, the WorkLife Congress, and the Multicultural Women’s Conference and Town Halls. Working Mother Media’s mission is to champion cultural change.
About Flex-Time Lawyers LLC
Flex-Time Lawyers LLC® is a national consulting firm advising the legal profession on work/life balance, law firm restructure, and the retention and promotion of women. It hosts a membership organization with chapters in New York and Philadelphia, offering networking opportunities, support, career guidance, education and information sharing to effect change. Flex-Time Lawyers LLC is a resource to the press and legal community at large on work/life balance and women’s issues and also provides recruiting services. It has been covered extensively in the national and legal press, including The New York Times, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, National Public Radio, National Law Journal, and numerous others. For more information, please visit www.flextimelawyers.com.
