Faegre Baker Daniels Named a Top Law Firm for Women

Faegre Baker Daniels is among 44 U.S. law firms to receive Gold Standard Certification by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) in 2015. This designation recognizes firms that have women in top leadership roles that impact firm management and compensation decisions.

“Faegre Baker Daniels is very proud to receive the Gold Standard Certification,” said Karin Johnson, partner and chair of the firm’s Women’s Forum for Achievement Leadership Council. “We strive to be a law firm of fully engaged professionals who are as diverse as the clients we serve and the communities in which we live and work.”

WILEF invited firms with 300 or more attorneys to apply for the certification. The designation is based solely on statistical data of women lawyers in leadership and highly compensated positions, and not on the firm's internal diversity policies.

To be certified, firms had to meet at least four of the following six criteria:

• Women account for at least 20 percent of equity partners.
• Women represent at least 10 percent of firm chairs and office managing partners.
• Women make up at least 20 percent of the firm's primary governance committee.
• Women comprise 20 percent or more of the firm's compensation committee.
• Women account for at least 25 percent of practice group leaders or department heads.
• Women comprise at least 10 percent of the top half of the most highly compensated partners.

Tom Froehle, chief operating partner at FaegreBD said, “Our commitment to diversity and inclusion allows us to foster the rich and vibrant work environment necessary to attract and retain the best talent. We gain the benefits of different perspectives in developing strategies and implementing solutions to support client needs and objectives.”

Faegre Baker Daniels actively supports the advancement of women in the legal industry through its internal Women's Forum for Achievement. This affinity group provides a platform for women to develop their careers, practices and networks, and ensures the firm is a place where women can achieve long-term success.

The Women in Law Empowerment Forum launched the Gold Standard Certification initiative as a change agent for women to rise within their law firms as business developers and leaders. The organization seeks to create a dialogue for the purpose of educating women in law firms on how to become leaders in the workplace and in the community by building, exercising and implementing a strong sense of empowerment.