Lowenstein Sandler is pleased to announce that Working Mother has included the firm in its list of the 2018 60 Best Law Firms for Women. This distinction recognizes law firms that create and use best practices in retaining and promoting women lawyers, including by providing flexible work, paid leave, and support for women's advancement. This is the sixth time the firm has been so honored; we were listed among the top 50 (60 as of 2018) firms in 2009 and again from 2013 to 2016.
The firm received this honor in recognition of our innovative programs and benefits that support our women employees’ professional growth. Our Women’s Initiative Network (WIN), for example, is a grassroots program that supports and empowers our women lawyers to achieve professional and personal success. Comprised of women from a cross section of the firm’s practice areas, seniority levels, and offices, the group fosters meaningful mentoring relationships that assist our women lawyers in developing their careers and flourishing as leaders. Similarly, the firm’s Women’s Enrichment Initiative offers a forum and avenues for women on our professional staff to network with and mentor one another and to discuss career development challenges that are unique to women professionals. Recognizing that all of our employees need appropriate support, we also created the LS Parents of Young Children group, which offers employees the necessary support to navigate and celebrate parenting’s challenges and rewards. Finally, the firm’s benefits include expansive parental leave, an on-ramping period following return from parental leave, a Parental Leave Mentoring Network, and flexible work arrangements such as reduced schedules, flextime, and telecommuting.
“We are honored to be recognized by Working Mother for our efforts to retain and promote accomplished women lawyers,” said Gary M. Wingens, Lowenstein’s Chair and Managing Partner. “The strides we have made on behalf of our women lawyers and other personnel are an important part of the firm’s larger, multidimensional approach to increasing the diversity of our workforce and building on our culture of inclusion.”
In addition to appearing on the Working Mother list, Lowenstein’s diversity and inclusion achievements, including those on behalf of its women employees, have been recognized by a perfect (100 percent) score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation Corporate Equality Index: Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality; the Freddie Mac inaugural Award of Excellence for Enhancing Law Firm Diversity & Inclusion; and being named an NJBIZ Best Place to Work in New Jersey for seven consecutive years.
A. Faith English, Lowenstein’s Manager of Diversity & Inclusion, stated, “The Working Mother accolade shows that we are making a smart investment in the women at our firm. More broadly, it demonstrates that Lowenstein is serious about nurturing the talent and development of our lawyers and other professionals as we take our position as a leader in the legal diversity and inclusion space.”
Working Mother founded the Best Law Firms for Women program in 2007. Its mission is to provide law firms with tools to achieve measurable results in enhancing their women lawyers’ visibility and professional success.
A complete list of this year’s 60 firms is available at this link.
About the Methodology
The 2018 Working Mother Best Law Firms for Women application included more than 300 questions about lawyer representation, schedule flexibility, paid time off and parental leaves, and development and retention of women. Profiles are culled from the applications and reflect 2017 data. The ABA Journal acts as a partner in recruiting participant firms and publicizing results.
