WilmerHale has been named among the 2021 Top Firms for Gender Equity & Family Friendliness by Yale Law Women (YLW), an organization which seeks to advance the status of women and traditionally underrepresented gender identities at Yale Law School and in the legal profession at large.

Since 2006, YLW has published the Top Firms for Gender Equity & Family Friendliness Report to raise awareness of inequities within the legal profession, highlight progress being made in the industry and identify areas for improvement. This is the third year YLW has released a ranking for the Top Firms for Gender Equity. In order to best reflect the distinct needs and preferences of law firm employees, the report honors individual firms for excelling in specific categories that relate to overall gender equity and family friendliness.

WilmerHale received recognition in the areas of hiring practices, diverse leadership and promotion practices. Previously, the firm was named on the Top Ten Friendly lists in 2018, 2016, 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2006. All data collected in the 2020 report reflects policies and statistics from the 2020 calendar year and only included US office locations.

The firm has been repeatedly ranked as a top law firm for women lawyers and recognized for advancing diversity and inclusion by various respected news outlets and organizations dedicated to advancing the representation of diverse individuals.

A look at the firm’s work in 2019 and 2020 demonstrates these trends:

• 70% of the 30 largest investigatory matters handled by the firm were led or co-led by WilmerHale women.
• 60% of the firm’s public offerings and Rule 144A placements—which raised over $60 billion—were led by WilmerHale women.
• 60% of the trials and arbitrations handled by the firm were led or co-led by WilmerHale women.
• WilmerHale Women handled 14 appellate arguments in 9 state and federal courts, including 2 arguments in the US Supreme Court.
• Women at WilmerHale represent 27% of equity partners, 40% of the management committee and 44% of the compensation committee.

Recently, Co-Managing Partner Susan Murley was featured by Business Insider as one of only nine women in a top leadership position at Big Law. In her more than nine years leading WilmerHale, Ms. Murley has played an instrumental role in shaping a culture where it is business as usual to find women leading in both client representation and firm management. As highlighted by YLW, while much improvement has been made in terms of gender equity and parental accommodations at large law firms, there is still more work to be done. Under Ms. Murley’s leadership and of many other women leaders at WilmerHale, the firm will continue to develop and support programs that foster career opportunities for all lawyers and that create an inclusive culture.

Visit our Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity Leaders, WilmerHale Women and Women Trial Lawyers pages to learn more about our commitment to diversity at every level in the firm.