Gender Diversity for Sustainability

Research by law.com found that in the top UK law firms, more female lawyers are hired than male lawyers at the trainee level. In fact, female lawyers make up 58% of trainees at these law firms. However, by the time they reach partner level, the proportion of female lawyers drops dramatically to 27%.

To put this into context, according to the FTSE Women Leaders Review, women held 40.5% of board positions. Clearly, the legal industry is lagging behind despite the fact that research clearly suggests that gender diversity and equality are crucial for sustainable development in companies.

Breaking Glass

The team at Penteris have always firmly believed that there should never be a glass ceiling and gender diversity should the norm. It is actually one of the keys to business success. As an example, there is an equal number of male and female equity partners at Penteris.

What is more, most key positions in the firm are held by woman. This includes our Managing Partner, CEO, Office Manager, Chief Accountant, and Head of Banking and Finance. Additionally, the business benefits are clear…

Better Business Sense

McKinsey & Company’s “Delivering through Diversity” report found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 21% more likely to experience above-average profitability compared to companies in the fourth quartile.

Better Client Retention

Research by the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (IILP) has found that law firms with more diverse workforces are better equipped to attract and retain clients. The study found that 72% of in-house counsels considered diversity and inclusion efforts when selecting law firms to hire.

Better Client Representation

If, as according to the The American Bar Association, women make up about 50% of law school graduates, but there is underrepresentation at senior levels, then there is a greater need for gender diversity and equality. Law firms serve a diverse clientele, and gender diversity ensures that lawyers can better understand and represent the interests of their clients.

Better Talent Retention

Promoting equality is essential for attracting and retaining top talent. Inclusive work environments that value this are more likely to attract a broader pool of qualified candidates, including talented female lawyers. According to a study by the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance, 79% of female lawyers consider gender diversity as a critical factor when choosing a law firm.

Better Decisions

Boston Consulting Group research has found that companies with more diverse management teams have 19% higher revenue due to innovation whereas the Harvard Business Review suggests that diverse teams make better decisions and outperform homogeneous groups by 87%.

Being Better

Taking all these things into consideration, it is with great pride that we can announce that our efforts to promote gender diversity (and more) have been noticed by the Women in Business Law Awards. The Penteris team has been nominated in three categories: (i) Best Women in Business Law International Firm; (ii) Best Pro Bono National Firm; (iii) Best Firm in Poland.

Congratulations to the whole team!