“We are thrilled to have such a talented group of lawyers elevated in 2010,” said William J. Perlstein, co-managing partner of WilmerHale. "They have distinguished themselves through their excellent work and exceptional client service and they will be great contributors to our Firm for years to come."

“Among our best and brightest lawyers are women and minorities,” said William F. Lee, co-managing partner of WilmerHale. “In addition to providing sound counsel to our clients in a wide range of practice areas, they are leaders in the legal profession, active community members, and devoted mentors to junior attorneys. Competitive success for a global law firm in the twenty-first century requires a commitment to diversity that starts at the top and courses through the firm at every level.”

The news of the 2010 promotions arrived on the heels of an annual survey of the top 200 law firms by the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), the results of which showed that WilmerHale outranked many of its competitors regarding the percentage of women attorneys in law firm leadership in 2009. According to the survey, WilmerHale’s highest governing committee, the firm’s Management Committee, is made up of 21% women, compared to an average of only 15% at other top firms. In addition, WilmerHale’s equity partners are made up of 23% women, compared to an average of 16% at other leading firms.

WilmerHale also promoted a significant percentage (17%) of diverse attorneys in 2010. The National Law Journal recently recognized WilmerHale as one of Washington DC’s most diverse law firms. Of the large law firms in Washington, only five of them have partnerships composed of at least 10 % minorities, and WilmerHale is among that select group. Multicultural Law magazine included WilmerHale in its “Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity,” “Top 100 Law Firms for Women,” “Top 50 Law Firms for Partners,” “Top 50 Law Firms for Associates,” and “Top 25 Law Firms for African-Americans” lists. And last summer, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association honored the firm for its diversity initiatives with the Thomas L. Sager Award, an award that is given to law firms that demonstrate a sustained commitment to improving the hiring, retention and promotion of minority attorneys.

WilmerHale continues to be recognized as a leading law firm for women. The firm was included in the following lists: Yale Law Women Top Family Friendly Firms, Working Mother’s Best Law Firms for Women and the American Lawyer’s Women in Law Firms study. Individual women recognized included, Charlene Barshefsky and Jamie Gorelick, “Top Female Corporate Directors” (BusinessWeek); and Franca Harris Gutierrez, “Minority Rainmaker” (Diversity & the Bar). WilmerHale is devoted to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women and minority attorneys, and firm committees such as the Work-life Balance Committee, Diversity Committee and Women’s Leadership Initiative are consistently working alongside firm leadership to help mentor and advance junior women and minority attorneys.