NGE is pleased to announce that the firm has been named one of the Best Law Firms for Women and Diversity by Seramount. This is our tenth year of recognition, and we are proud to be inducted into Seramount’s Hall of Fame.
Annually, Seramount recognizes law firms that utilize best practices in recruiting, retaining, promoting, and developing women lawyers and lawyers from underrepresented groups, including people of color. The 2024 application included over 600 questions about attorney demographics at different levels, flexibility, paid time off and parental leaves, and development and retention of women and people of color as well as those from other underrepresented groups. Questions about family-friendly benefits and mentoring and sponsorship participation were also included.
Our efforts to hire, retain and promote women and people of color continue to result in progress and these results stem from our efforts to understand the needs of our people and respond to those needs. For example, post-pandemic, NGE designed an innovative, highly flexible, 4+4 hybrid work policy with one day in the work week as an all-in day for lawyers and staff in each practice group and department and four additional days per month for attorneys and professional staff to choose to come into the office. As Managing Partner Robert G. Gerber noted, “Our hybrid work policy embodies the firm’s commitment to both professional excellence and personal flexibility. We believe the structure of our policy truly integrates in-person collaboration with increased individual flexibility. When we rolled out the policy, we invited everyone to embrace the spirit of the policy rather than complying simply to check a box. We focused on the intentionality of being in-person on our all-in days to collaborate and increase teamwork and learning, while also providing resources to make meaningful connections virtually. We believe that combination of flexibility and accountability strengthens our firm’s culture and enhances our people’s professional success and personal well-being.”
“Our Best Law Firms for Women and Diversity demonstrate unwavering commitment, despite the uncertainties in the legal field,” said Subha V. Barry, President of Seramount. “I’m proud of the steady and positive change they are driving, even if it’s a gradual process. I applaud these industry leaders for their dedication to cultivating inclusive firm cultures.”
2024 Best Law Firms for Women & Diversity Highlights:
- Representation by the numbers: 42 percent of lawyers are women, same as last year; 27 percent of equity partners are women, same as last year; 24 percent of lawyers are people of color, up from 23 percent last year and 33 percent of lawyers hired are people of color, down from 34 percent last year.
- Advancement by the numbers: The percentage of women promoted to equity partner is 41 percent, up from 39 percent last year; The percentage of people of color promoted to equity partner is 22 percent, up from 17 percent last year; 100 percent offer formal mentoring programs, up from 96 percent last year; 89 percent offer formal sponsorship programs, up from 82 percent last year and 95 percent of firms have formal policies in place that allow lawyers to move on and off an equity partner track, up from 88 percent last year.
- Benefits by the numbers: 89 percent of firms offer backup childcare, up from 84 percent last year; 84 percent offer childcare for a sick child, up from 80 percent last year; 89 percent reimburse for in vitro fertilization, up from 80 percent last year; 80 percent reimburse for egg freezing, up from 66 percent last year; and 64 percent reimburse for surrogacy expenses, up from 46 percent last year.
- Inclusive Practices by the numbers: 56 percent conducted a pay equity analysis within the last year based on both gender and race/ethnicity, up from 52 percent the previous year and 51 percent have Employee Resource Groups for people with disabilities, up from 43 percent last year.