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Bass, Berry & Sims PLC Named A 2009 Best Law Firm for Women by Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers
 Nashville, Tenn., August 11, 2009 - For the second year in a row, Bass, Berry & Sims PLC has been named one of the Best Law Firms for Women by Working Mother magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers. Working Mother, the authoritative source for career mothers, and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, a national consulting firm advising attorneys and legal employers on work/life balance, selected Bass, Berry & Sims PLC for its continued attention to work-life and women’s issues and the increased use of flex-time, reduced-hour and other family-friendly policies.
Women comprise 32 percent of the firm’s attorney workforce and women hold several leadership roles within the firm, including Leigh Walton (Executive Committee and co-chair of the Healthcare Practice Group), Anna Grizzle (Entry Level Hiring chair), Cindy Sellers (Business Development and Client Relations chair), Karen S. Neal (Diversity Committee chair), Laura Brothers (Female Mentor Group chair) and Susan Foxman (Professional Development Committee chair).
A formal policy allowing for alternate work schedules is among several initiatives for which Bass, Berry & Sims PLC is recognized. “Our firm values the fact that attorneys may choose to reduce the amount of time devoted to their practice as a matter of personal or professional choice,” said Neal. “Our attorneys who opt for a reduced or flexible work schedule are provided with the same administrative and advancement opportunities as full-time attorneys.”
Another asset is the firm’s active Female Mentor Group. “The group provides a congenial and supportive environment, as well as real opportunities for business, professional, and personal development,” said Brothers. Since 2005, the Female Mentor Group has hosted the popular “Salute to Women Executives,” an annual program for the firm’s executive female clients that focuses on the success of women in the workforce. “The firm has an ongoing commitment to developing a working environment that not only supports but encourages work-life balance and the retention and advancement of women,” continued Brothers.
“The recession has created a shift in the legal industry and now is the time to push through mutually-beneficial, cost-effective reforms that directly benefit work-life balance and allow working moms to succeed both at home and in the court room,” said Carol Evans, president, Working Mother Media. “We salute the 2009 Best Law Firms for recognizing that making the legal profession work for women is good business for everyone.”
Together, Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers have recognized 50 firms that have redefined the standards of success by creating a workplace that encourages the retention and advancement of women. Bass, Berry & Sims PLC and its work/life and women-friendly policies are profiled in the August/September issue of Working Mother and at www.workingmother.com and www.flextimelawyers.com. Winning firms will be honored at a luncheon at the Pierre Hotel in New York on September 15.
The Best Law Firms for Women are leading the charge for change. For example, these 50 winning firms employ more lawyers who work reduced hours (8 percent versus 5 percent nationwide). These winning firms also employ more female equity partners who share in their firms’ profits (20 percent versus 16 percent nationwide).
“We are proud of our 2009 Best Law Firms for Women because they understand that when the market improves, the war for talent will return and they will be better positioned to recruit and retain the best and brightest,” said Deborah Epstein Henry, Founder and President, Flex-Time Lawyers. “Big salaries and bonuses will no longer be the pivotal means for firms to draw the best talent, and culture and environment will become more important ways for firms to distinguish themselves.”
Methodology: The 2009 Best Law Firms for Women application was developed in a partnership between Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers. Firms with at least 50 lawyers were eligible to apply and the application included detailed questions about the issues that are most important to the retention and promotion of female lawyers. The 50 winning firms were selected based on their workforce profile, family-friendly benefits and policies, flexibility, leadership, compensation, advancement and retention of women, among other criteria utilizing 2008 data.
About Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC is one of the nation’s premiere law firms. With more than 200 attorneys representing numerous publicly-traded companies and Fortune 500 businesses, the firm has been involved in some of the largest and most important business transactions and litigation matters in the country. For more information, visit www.bassberry.com.
About Working Mother Media
Celebrating 30 years, Working Mother magazine reaches 2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers while www.workingmother.com brings to the Web a broad range of insight and solutions served to working mothers every day. Working Mother’s 24-year signature research initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, is the most important benchmark for work/life practices in corporate America. With offices in New York and Washington, D.C., Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corp., includes the National Association for Female Executives, Diversity Best Practices, the WorkLife Congress, and the Multicultural Women’s Conference and Town Halls. Working Mother Media’s mission is to champion cultural change.
About Flex-Time Lawyers LLC
Flex-Time Lawyers LLC® is a national consulting firm advising the legal profession on work/life balance, law firm restructure, and the retention and promotion of women. It hosts a membership organization with chapters in New York and Philadelphia, offering networking opportunities, support, career guidance, education and information sharing to effect change. Flex-Time Lawyers LLC is a resource to the press and legal community at large on work/life balance and women's issues and also provides recruiting services. It has been covered extensively in the national and legal press, including The New York Times, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, National Public Radio, National Law Journal, and numerous others. For more information, please visit www.flextimelawyers.com.
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CONTACT: Edward Bowen
615-259-6447
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