(L-to-R) Nelson Mullins attorneys Melissa Gomberg, Kimberly Freedman, Erin Kolmansberger, Daniela Ferro.

 

Four attorneys who make up an all-women litigation team at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough believe they have created an ideal career template for female attorneys who do not want to be forced to choose between career and parental success.

Commercial litigators Erin Kolmansberger, Kimberly Freedman, Melissa Gomberg and Daniela Ferro have worked together in Miami for several years, having formed their team when they were part of legacy Broad & Cassel, which merged with Nelson Mullins last year. Three of them are now mothers of young children.

The four lawyers—three of counsel and one associate—generally handle one large case and several smaller cases at one time. The bigger cases, they say, range from $10 million to a few billion dollars in damages. They say their team approach is successful because they play off each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They describe Gomberg as the laser, able to quickly track relevant case law and research; Kolmansberger is the project manager; Ferro is the team “mom” and a quick learner; and Freedman is the appellate star.

“We’re sort of a wolf pack,” Gomberg says.

While law firms have increasingly rolled out mother-friendly programs and generous parental leave policies in recent years, retention rates for women in Big Law are still dismal. Morrison & Foerster and Jones Day have both been hit by gender discrimination lawsuits this year.

Kolmansberger believes legal teams like hers should be a model for law firms looking to improve their women attorney recruitment and retention rates. She isn’t advocating solely for all-women teams, but a meaningfully diverse team like hers fosters a collaborative environment that benefits the attorneys, firms and clients, she says.

“This is a model that has worked for us. Our hope is that we can replicate it in other offices,” Kolmansberger said. “We want … future generations to have it easier.”

Nelson Mullins Miami managing partner Mark Raymond, who hired the four lawyers and staffed the team as it evolved over the last three years, agrees. He says they offer a case study of how teamwork breeds success.

And the all-women team gives Nelson Mullins, which ranked 69th in the Am Law 100 this year,  another advantage: At a time when companies are evaluating outside counsel based in part on  a firm’s demonstrated commitment to diversity, being able to present an all-women litigation team to potential clients is a bonus—and an opportunity the firm does not pass up.

Raymond says he hopes to see their model replicated through the firm.

The group has developed a tight working relationship. They share professional stories in a group chat, cover each other during emergencies and provide emotional support in moments of doubt and weakness.

More than anything, Kolmansberger said, the tight-knit support is the most essential part of their success. When her son’s eardrum burst, for example, Gomberg stepped in so that Kolmansberger could take him to the hospital. When Freedman was out on maternity leave, they all came over to her house to not only see the baby but also to update her on what was going on in their cases.

“At no point have I ever felt my job is at risk,” Kolmansberger said. “I know they have my back.”

The kind of flexibility this group affords each other can have implications that extend beyond working mothers, according to Karen Kaplowitz, an adviser to Working Mother’s Best Law Firms for Women Initiative.

“The No. 1 best practice for working mothers is flexibility,” Kaplowitz said. “As law firms create more flexibility for parents, they’ll also be healthier and have more livable work cultures.”

Kolmansberger and Gomberg are slated to talk about their experience and success at The Miami Women, Diversity & Change Summit in November.

“None of the stuff they do is mandated by management,” Raymond said. “They do it because they know it’s the best path for them regarding their mental health, parenting and career.”

 

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