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International Edition

Understanding why women leave the law – and finding the right way to keep them

Ashurst's senior partner addresses reaction to the firm's pledge to boost female numbers in management roles
5 minute read

International Edition

Female partners still unloved - the tricky relationship between secretaries and women lawyers

There's more unity among professional women, but what about the women who work for them? Here's the startling news: Female secretaries can't stand lawyers who are women. According to a survey of 142 secretaries at big firms...
3 minute read

International Edition

Ashurst brings in female quota for management roles in diversity push

Ashurst has become the first leading UK law firm to introduce a quota for the number of women it wants to employ in management positions, with the City firm aiming to have one quarter of its management posts filled by women within the 
next three years. The target has been introduced by the Ashurst Committee, which was created at the start of 2011 by senior partner Charlie Geffen and global head of corporate Stephen Lloyd with the intention of improving the retention of female lawyers.
3 minute read

International Edition

CMS sets out female promotions as key after report shows 22% partner representation

CMS Cameron McKenna has followed Linklaters' lead and published staff diversity statistics ahead of a controversial new requirement from the Legal Services Board (LSB) that will make such reporting compulsory from December 2012. Results from the voluntary survey, which saw 50% of all UK lawyers and staff participating, indicate the firm needs to make ground with improving both racial and gender diversity in its partnership.
2 minute read

International Edition

Eversheds becomes first law firm to sign up for Government gender equality scheme

Eversheds has become the first law firm to sign up to a new voluntary gender reporting initiative launched by the Government. The top 10 UK law firm has joined Tesco and BT as the first members of the 'Think, Act, Report' initiative, which is aimed at improving transparency on gender equality issues in business.
2 minute read

International Edition

McGrigors consults on overhaul of maternity and sickness policies

McGrigors is considering a number of changes to its employee benefits system relating to the firm's maternity leave and sick pay policies. The firm is proposing the introduction of bonuses for mothers who return to work early, as well as a new policy which will allow the firm to reduce the pay of women who take a second period of maternity leave within 18 months of their last.
2 minute read

International Edition

Freshfields in diversity drive across Germany and Austria offices

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has rolled out a raft of new flexible working initiatives across its German and Austrian offices, alongside a renewed diversity push in the region. The 'Smart Balance' scheme, which officially went live at the end of May this year, has been launched in a bid to address individual development, flexible working and diversity and inclusion across the firm's seven offices in the region.
2 minute read

International Edition

Linklaters publishes comprehensive workforce diversity statistics

Linklaters has become one of the first major UK law firms to publish comprehensive diversity data on its website, just days after the Legal Services Board (LSB) announced that it will make such reporting compulsory as of December 2012. The statistics show that 38% of Linklaters' UK partnership were privately educated - a proportion broadly replicated across the firm's associate and trainee ranks - while a further 39% of partners went to a state or grammar school. The remainder were internationally educated, with 7% opting not to disclose.
3 minute read

International Edition

Career Clinic: Has my career break made me less marketable?

"I qualified in 2008 from a large regional practice in the northwest. Since then I have had a career break of three years as I had a baby. I am now trying to secure an NQ position in employment law. "Agencies refuse to take on my CV (I think because of my career break they don't see me as very marketable). I am therefore applying to firms speculatively but getting nowhere.
1 minute read

International Edition

Ex-Bakers chair Lagarde becomes first-ever female IMF head

Former Baker & McKenzie chair Christine Lagarde has been named as the first female head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Lagarde, who will begin a five-year term as IMF managing director on 5 July, spent over 20 years at Bakers, and held the role of chair between 1999 and 2004, after which she was succeeded by John Conroy.
2 minute read

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