Barnes & Thornburg Named to ‘Best Law Firms for Women’ List by Working Mother

INDIANAPOLIS — Barnes & Thornburg has been named to the 11th annual, “Best Law Firms for Women” list by Working Mother magazine, which recognizes firms that utilize best practices in retaining and promoting women lawyers. Barnes & Thornburg was among 60 firms that earned spots on this year’s list.

“Although our efforts continue, obtaining this recognition is very important because it reflects our culture of providing a flexible workplace,” said Robert T. Grand. “We have worked hard to ensure our policies fully support women so they can succeed personally and professionally.”

“It is an honor to be selected by Working Mother magazine as a firm that values inclusion in the workplace,” said Heather H. Willey, partner and co-chair of the firm’s Women’s Initiative Network (WIN). “It’s our priority to maintain an attractive environment for women through ongoing professional development programming, opportunities to network and build connections and by engaging our peers to address and overcome the challenges that women in the workplace face.”

The full list highlights law firms where on average almost half of associates and more than a third of partners are women, while one-fifth of equity partners are women. These firms also increasingly offer extended parental-leave benefits and encourage more lawyers to work remotely and use flexible hours.

"The law firms that make Working Mother's list are remarkable for their long-term commitment to retaining and promoting women lawyers," said Meredith Bodgas, editor-in-chief of Working Mother. "One hundred percent of these firms provide flexible work arrangements and 57 percent of them offer sponsorship programs for high-potential women lawyers. That's resulted in a jump in the number of women equity partners to 21 percent."

About the Methodology

The 2018 Working Mother Best Law Firms for Women application included more than 300 questions about attorney representation, schedule flexibility, paid time off and parental leaves, and development and retention of women.

With more than 600 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from 14 offices in Atlanta, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio, Texas and Washington, D.C.