Lowenstein Sandler is pleased to announce that Working Mother has included the firm in its list of the 2019 60 Best Law Firms for Women for the seventh time. This distinction recognizes firms that utilize best practices in recruiting, retaining, promoting, and developing women lawyers by providing such benefits as flexible work, paid leave, and support for women's advancement.
“Being recognized once again by Working Mother demonstrates our firm’s ongoing commitment to nurturing the talent and development of a diverse group of professionals and building a culture of inclusion where all perspectives are welcomed,” said Gary M. Wingens, Lowenstein’s Chair and Managing Partner.
Lowenstein’s approach to supporting women lawyers includes offering a range of innovative programs and benefits that assist their professional growth, such as expansive parental leave, an on-ramping period following return from parental leave, a Parental Leave Mentoring Network, and flexible work arrangements such as reduced schedules, flextime, and telecommuting.
In addition, Lowenstein’s Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) supports and empowers women lawyers to achieve professional and personal success. Comprised of women from a cross section of the firm’s practice areas, seniority levels, and offices, the group fosters meaningful mentoring relationships that assist women lawyers in developing their careers and flourishing as leaders. Similarly, the firm’s Women’s Enrichment Initiative (WEI) offers a forum and avenues for women on the firm’s professional staff to network with and mentor one another and to discuss career development challenges that are unique to women professionals. Finally, the LS Parents of Young Children group offers employees the necessary support to navigate and celebrate parenting’s challenges and rewards.
“These targeted programs, in addition to personal mentoring, diversified benefits, and challenging opportunities, enable our working parents and all of our employees to excel in the workplace,” said Lowenstein Chief Human Resources Officer Donatella Verrico. “Their satisfaction contributes to our firm’s overall retention and enables us to provide better client service.”
In addition to appearing on the Working Mother list, Lowenstein’s diversity and inclusion achievements, including those on behalf of its women employees, have been recognized by a perfect (100 percent) score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index; the Freddie Mac inaugural Award of Excellence for Enhancing Law Firm Diversity & Inclusion; being included on NJBIZ’s Best Places to Work in New Jersey for eight consecutive years; being named a Crain's Best Place to Work in New York City; and receiving the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice's Corporate Leadership Award.
Working Mother founded the Best Law Firms for Women program in 2007. Its mission is to provide law firms with tools to achieve measurable results in enhancing their women lawyers’ visibility and professional success. This year’s full list, available here, highlights law firms that averaged 37 percent women among new equity partners, compared with only 27 percent five years ago. The percentage of women lawyers in the ranks of the Best Law Firms’ most highly compensated partners also jumped from 11 percent to 15 percent in five years.
The 2019 Working Mother Best Law Firms for Women application, administered by the Working Mother Research Institute, includes more than 300 questions about attorney demographics at different levels, schedule flexibility, paid time off and parental leave, and development and retention of women.
