Haynes Boone has received the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) Gold Standard Certification for the ninth consecutive year, showing the firm’s continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The firm is among only 29 U.S. law firms awarded the 2021 Gold Certification. This is the ninth consecutive year for the firm to receive the award, which launched in 2010.
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.
"Haynes Boone is committed to the advancement of women as a part of our overall strategic plan to foster an inclusive and respectful work environment," said Partner Michelle Scheffler, who serves as co-chair of the Women’s Initiative Committee with Partner Tamara Devitt.
To qualify for the 2021 US Gold Standard Certification, the firm must satisfy both of the following two mandatory criteria:
- 25% of equity partners or, alternatively, 40% of the attorneys becoming equity partners during the past 12 months are women
- 10% of women equity partners are women of color or 4% of women equity partners are LGBT
The firm must also meet at least two of the following four criteria:
- 20% of the firm and U.S. branch office heads are women
- 20% of the top half of the firm’s equity partners in terms of compensation are women
- 25% of the firm’s compensation committee or its equivalent are women
- 25% of the firm’s primary governance committee are women
The driving force behind the firm’s diversity and inclusion efforts is the Attorney Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (ADEIC) composed of partners, associates, counsel and key members of management. The group’s Women’s Initiative supports women lawyers of all levels at the firm and advocates for the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women lawyers at the firm.
In 2020, Haynes Boone attained Mansfield 3.0 certification after completing the Diversity Lab’s yearlong process and is currently pursuing Mansfield 4.0 certification. The 4.0-certified firms will be announced later this year.
Haynes 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 Boone is ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, and The Lawyer. The firm has also been 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.