Firm recognized for ongoing commitment to flexibility, retention and advancement of women
HOUSTON (LAWFUEL) – (August 12, 2008) — Working Mother Magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC® have named Andrews Kurth as one of the top law firms in the nation for women. The honor recognizes and celebrates the top 50 U.S. law firms who are committed to supporting the advancement and development of women in the legal profession. Andrews Kurth is one of only two Texas-based law firms to receive this recognition.
“We are honored to be recognized by Working Mother and Flex Time Lawyers,” says Bob Jewell, Managing Partner. “This award reflects our commitment to creating a workplace that fosters the retention of women and the promotion of their success.”
In 2004, Andrews Kurth formed a Women’s Initiative Team (WIT) with the goal of recruiting, developing and retaining the firm’s women lawyers. Offering various professional development and networking opportunities as well as mentoring programs, quarterly luncheons and a flex path for lawyers of both genders, WIT continually seeks to implement programs that can provide women lawyers who make Andrews Kurth their home with the skills and opportunities to succeed.
“Being named one of the top 50 firms for women reflects the value we place on personal as well as professional fulfillment,” added Meredith Mouer, Partner and Co-Chair of the firm’s WIT. “Being a parent and working as a lawyer is not easy. Andrews Kurth provides our attorneys with the tools and resources necessary to develop a successful practice while maintaining a healthy lifestyle outside the office.”
Andrews Kurth is profiled in the August/September issue of Working Mother and at www.workingmother.com and www.flextimelawyers.com. Andrews Kurth will be honored at a luncheon at the Mandarin Oriental in New York on September 15. That morning, Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers will hold a forum to report for the first time the findings of their national research on the trends and share best practices of work/life balance and women in the legal profession.
“Today nearly half of law school graduates are women. Law firms need to make a fundamental shift in their policies by instituting female and family-friendly benefits as Andrews Kurth has done,” said Carol Evans, CEO, Working Mother Media. “We hope that by recognizing Andrews Kurth, who has already moved the needle, a paradigm shift will follow.”
Methodology
The 2008 Best Law Firms for Women application was developed in a partnership between Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC. Firms with at least 50 lawyers were eligible to apply and the application included detailed questions about the issues that are most important to the retention and promotion of female lawyers. Andrews Kurth was selected based on responses to an application measuring areas such as workforce profile, family-friendly benefits and policies, flexibility, leadership, compensation, advancement and retention of women.
About Working Mother Media
Founded in 1979, Working Mother magazine reaches 2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers. Its 22-year signature initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, is the most important benchmark for work/life practices in corporate America. Working Mother is published by Working Mother Media, which was founded in 2001. Working Mother Media includes the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE), Diversity Best Practices, the WorkLife Congress, the Multicultural Women’s Conference and Town Halls. Working Mother Media’s mission is to champion culture change. For more information, please visit www.workingmother.com.
About Flex-Time Lawyers LLC
Flex-Time Lawyers LLC is a national consulting firm advising lawyers, law firms, bar associations, law schools and corporations on work/life balance, business development, women’s initiatives, re-entry of comeback professionals 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, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, National Law Journal, New York Law Journal, and numerous others. For more information, please visit www.flextimelawyers.com.
About Andrews Kurth LLP
For more than a century, Andrews Kurth has built its practice on the belief that “straight talk is good business.” Real answers, clear vision and mutual respect define the firm’s relationships with clients, colleagues, communities and employees. With more than 400 lawyers and offices in Austin, Beijing, Dallas, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, The Woodlands and Washington, DC, Andrews Kurth represents a wide array of clients in all areas of business law. For more information about Andrews Kurth, please visit www.andrewskurth.com.
