Globally, our site showcases 54 lawyers as partners in its 2022 class.
Global Law Firm Boosts Gender Diversity in Leadership Ranks
In a significant step towards enhancing gender diversity, a leading global law firm promoted 54 lawyers to partner and director positions worldwide, effective January 1, 2022. The new appointees span 11 practice areas, with 18 lawyers joining the litigation and disputes division, 10 in corporate, M&A and securities, 9 in banking and finance, and so on.
Among the newly promoted lawyers, 23 are women, making up 43% of the total. This is a positive development in the ongoing struggle for gender balance in senior leadership roles within the legal sector.
Notable appointments include Zayba Drabu, promoted to litigation and disputes in London, UK; Anna Rudawski to information governance, privacy and cybersecurity in New York, USA; and Rebecca Abou-Chedid to projects in Washington, DC, USA.
In other appointments, Kimberly Cheeseman was promoted to employment and labor in Houston, USA; Veit Sahlfeld to banking and finance in Hamburg, Germany; Dimitri Millas to banking and finance in Houston, USA; and Jonathan Lafrance to tax in Montréal, Canada.
The firm's gender diversity target is set at 40% women in overall partnership, leadership roles, lawyer promotions, lateral additions, and senior business services hires. This target underscores the firm's commitment to promoting gender equality and ensuring a balanced representation in its ranks.
Despite this progress, gender diversity in law firm leadership remains a challenge. Many firms maintain equal gender balance up to senior manager levels, but representation of women and gender minorities decreases significantly at partner and director levels. To address this, firms are implementing strategies such as formal gender equity programmes, engaging men as allies, and recognising and awarding women leaders in law firms.
Initiatives like Women in the Profession Committees and participation in events such as International Women’s Day are also promoting advancement and visibility of women lawyers. Notable women legal professionals have been promoted to partner or firm leadership roles, such as Michelle David, who was appointed Chair at Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa in 2022 after a decade as partner.
The firm's Global Chief Executive, Gerry Pecht, congratulated the promoted lawyers for their industry knowledge, business acumen, and innovative solutions. The promotions reflect the firm's continued focus on gender diversity in leadership promotions, with women and gender minorities remaining underrepresented at partner and director levels, prompting ongoing strategic efforts and recognition programs to accelerate change.
In pursuit of enhanced gender diversity within their leadership structure, the firm's focus on naming women to high-level positions continues, as evidenced by the appointments of Kimberly Cheeseman to employment and labor in Houston, USA, and Dimitri Millas to banking and finance in Houston, USA, who join the ranks of female lawyers promoted in key positions like Zayba Drabu in litigation and disputes in London, UK, and Rebecca Abou-Chedid in projects in Washington, DC, USA. These strategic moves align with the firm's goal of ensuring 40% women in overall partnership, leadership roles, and business services hires, indicating an ongoing commitment to gender equality and diversity in finance and business matters.
