Haynes and Boone, LLP has been awarded the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) Gold Standard Certification for the eighth year, showing the firm’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion.
WILEF grants Gold Standard status to major firms that meet objective criteria concerning the number of women among equity partners, in firm leadership positions, and in the ranks of their most highly compensated partners.
“The Gold Standard Certification shows that women play a central role in the leadership of Haynes and Boone, which has been the case for much of the firm’s history,” Director of Diversity and Inclusion Jennifer Reddien said. “This honor is a testament to Haynes and Boone’s ongoing efforts to recruit, retain and advance diverse lawyers.”
To qualify for the 2020 U.S. Gold Standard Certification, firms must satisfy two mandatory criteria: 20% of equity partners or 33% of the attorneys becoming equity partners during the past 12 months are women; and at least three of the following five criteria:
- 15% of the firm and U.S. branch office heads are women
- 20% of the firm’s primary governance committee are women
- 20% of the firm’s compensation committee or its equivalent are women
- 15% of the top half of the firm’s equity partners in terms of compensation are women
- 10% of women equity partners are women of color, or 4% of women equity partners are LGBT
The driving force behind the firm’s diversity and inclusion efforts is the Attorney Diversity and Inclusion Committee (ADIC) composed of partners, associates, counsel and key members of management. One of the ADIC’s subcommittees, the Women’s Initiative Committee, supports women lawyers of all levels at the firm and advocates for the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women lawyers at the firm. Haynes and Boone committed to becoming a Diversity Lab Mansfield 3.0-Certified firm in hopes of increasing the representation of diverse lawyers in significant leadership roles and activities. This year, the firm also committed to the Diversity Lab’s Mansfield 4.0 Certification program.
Haynes and Boone is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai, providing a full spectrum of legal services in energy, technology, financial services and private equity. With more than 575 lawyers, Haynes and Boone is ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and The Lawyer. It also was recognized across the board for excellence in the BTI Consulting Group’s 2020 “A-Team” report, which identifies the law firms that in-house counsel commend for providing superior client service.