Shook Honored with Gold Standard Certification for Fifth Consecutive Year by WILEF

Shook, Hardy & Bacon has been recognized by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) as one of only eight U.S. firms to meet all six criteria for its 2015 Gold Standard Certification, an industry measure of the progress law firms are making to integrate women into leadership positions.

This is Shook’s fifth consecutive year of receiving the WILEF gold standard certification, meeting all six criteria each year, an honor only one other law firm can claim.

“Shook, Hardy & Bacon is truly honored to be recognized by WILEF with the gold standard certification for the fifth consecutive year,” said Chair John Murphy. “Fostering a diverse and inclusive environment at our firm is key to serving our clients with efficiency and creativity.”

WILEF certification requires that women equity partners in firms with more than 300 practicing attorneys in the United States satisfy at least four of the following six criteria:

- 20 percent of equity partners;
- 10 percent of firm chairs and managing partners;
- 20 percent of the firm’s primary governance committee;
- 20 percent of the firm’s compensation committee;
- 25 percent of the firm’s practice leaders and/or department heads; and
- 10 percent of the top-half of the most highly compensated partners in the firm.

Shook has met all six criteria for five consecutive years.

“Shook is a five-peat recertified firm in all six categories – an unbelievable achievement for which the firm should be very proud,” said Betiayn Tursi, WILEF’s Global Chair and Co-Founder.

In addition to receiving its fifth WILEF certification, Shook has been recognized by other organizations for its diversity and inclusion initiatives. Shook also received its sixth consecutive perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s 2015 Corporate Equality Index, a report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality. It was also ranked in the top 100 law firms for female attorneys by Law360.