Globally unveiled, our site showcases 54 lawyers in its 2022 Partner Class.
Leading Global Law Firm Achieves Gender Diversity Milestone with 40% Women Promotions
A prominent global law firm has made a significant stride towards gender diversity with more than 40 percent of its latest partner and director promotions going to women. The firm, Baker McKenzie, has announced 54 lawyer promotions across various roles and regions, effective January 1, 2022.
The firm's commitment to gender diversity is reflected in its ambitious target to achieve 40% women, 40% men, and 20% flexible (including women, men, or non-binary persons) by 2025 across partnership, leadership, lawyer promotions, lateral additions, and senior business services hires. This target applies to multiple levels within the firm, making it a comprehensive approach to gender diversity and inclusion.
Among the newly promoted lawyers, Jennifer McPherson, Alison FitzGerald, and Jenna Anne de Jong were promoted to litigation and disputes in Calgary, Ottawa, and Ottawa, Canada, respectively. In the United States, Alberta Yan, Rebecca Winthrop, and Anna Rudawski were promoted to corporate, M&A and securities, bankruptcy, financial restructuring and insolvency, and information governance, privacy and cybersecurity, respectively. Jared Kaplan and Matthew Choi were promoted to banking and finance in New York and Vancouver, Canada.
The firm's global reach is evident in the promotions, with lawyers being promoted in cities such as London, New York, Hong Kong, Perth, Sydney, Munich, Houston, Dallas, Washington D.C., Montreal, and Toronto. Notably, lawyers in South Africa receive promotions to director instead of partner.
Gerry Pecht, the Global Chief Executive of the law firm, congratulated the promoted lawyers, emphasizing the firm's commitment to promoting talent regardless of gender. The firm's dedication to gender diversity is a testament to its forward-thinking approach and its commitment to creating an inclusive environment.
With 23 out of 54 promotions going to women, the firm has made a significant step towards achieving its 2025 target. This milestone is a testament to the firm's commitment to gender diversity and its belief in the importance of inclusivity in the legal profession.
References: [1] Baker McKenzie (2021). Gender Diversity Target [2] The Lawyer (2020). Firms target 40% women in senior management [3] The Law Society Gazette (2020). City firms aim for 40% female partnership by 2030
In their commitment to gender diversity, Baker McKenzie's ambitious target is to achieve a balanced workforce by 2025, including 40% women, 40% men, and 20% flexible in various roles and levels within the firm. The law firm's recent promotion of 23 out of 54 lawyers to partner and director positions, demonstrates a significant step towards this goal, highlighting their ongoing focus on business equity and inclusion.
