O'Melveny Wins Best International Firm for Women in Business Law at Euromoney's Americas Women in Business Law Awards

June 16, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:
Amber Burke
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
415.984.8891 (office)
415.676.1052 (cell)
aburke@omm.com

NEW YORK - June 16, 2014 - O’Melveny & Myers LLP received the “Best International Firm for Women in Business Law” award at Euromoney Legal Media Group’s third annual Americas Women in Business Law Awards, held on June 5, 2014, in New York. The Firm also won the award for “Best International Mentoring Program” for the second year in a row.

Euromoney’s Americas Women in Business Law Awards acknowledge law firms and professional services firms for their efforts and achievements in helping women advance in the legal profession, as well as individual women leading the field in the legal sector across the Americas. O’Melveny was nominated for a total of 10 awards, including individual awards for partner Lisa Pensabene, who was nominated for the “Best in Patent” honor, and partner Dawn Sestito, who was nominated as a "Rising Star" in Litigation. The additional award categories in which the Firm was shortlisted include “Best Gender Diversity Initiative by International Firm,” “Most Innovative International Firm,” “Best International Firm for Diversity,” “Best International Firm for Work-life Balance,” and “Best International Firm for Pro Bono Work.”

“Our strategy has been to take a holistic approach that looks at the entire life cycle of a women’s career at the Firm and identify the key experiences that would benefit from intervention and attention,” said Mary Ellen Connerty, O’Melveny’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion. “Through these efforts, we are gaining ground in our efforts to retain our women attorneys and see them progress into all levels and roles at the Firm. But we recognize we still have more work to do, and we have a vibrant community of women lawyers at O’Melveny who are helping to shape our evolving strategy.”

O’Melveny’s array of programs and initiatives that advance the Firm’s strategy of cultivating diversity and inclusion, professional development, and flexibility as firmwide business imperatives have made it a fixture of the Women in Business Law Awards shortlist and winners circle. These include the workplace flexibility initiative CustOMMize, skill-building courses in critical communications competencies for women, and many professional coaching opportunities on topics ranging from business development to career advancement. Gaining recognition for the second time, O’Melveny’s mentoring programs are tailored to lawyers’ needs at specific points in their development and aim to ensure continuous mentoring opportunities for all its attorneys throughout their career progression at the Firm. They also encourage more interaction between the Firm’s lawyers across all levels. The Firm’s reverse mentoring program is among its most distinctive initiatives. The program provides an opportunity for partners to learn what it is like to be female and/or diverse at O’Melveny so they are better equipped to recognize and address non-inclusive behavior and identify issues or trends that the Firm can address.

CustOMMize offers many progressive options for lawyers to manage their personal and professional lives, including a cutting-edge job share program and a sabbatical program called “Bridges.” Through Bridges, lawyers explore other interests and transition back to the Firm following their sabbatical. FlexTime schedules, remote work, reduced workload, and a “phase back” (reduced workload after a leave) program are also among the suite of options available under CustOMMize. Unlike a “one size fits all” approach, CustOMMize allows attorneys to consider several different flexibility options to meet their individual needs. In the two years since its launch, CustOMMize has solidified O’Melveny’s culture of flexibility—one that allows the Firm’s attorneys to work smarter and more efficiently. From a short-term remote work arrangement to an eight-month sabbatical, more than 20% of the Firm’s female and male associates and counsel have incorporated CustOMMize into their lives.

Award winners were selected by senior Euromoney Legal Media Group editorial staff following an extensive interview and research process. Firms were judged on their ability to support the development of women in the legal profession through a variety of approaches. Criteria included the retention of women associates to partner level and other diversity metrics, and specific diversity initiatives. Part of Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, Euromoney Legal Media Group comprises a wide range of legal publications including Managing Intellectual Property, International Financial Law Review, IFLR1000, International Tax Review, Expert Guides, and Benchmark Litigation.

About O’Melveny & Myers LLP
With approximately 800 lawyers in 16 offices worldwide, O’Melveny & Myers LLP helps industry leaders across a broad array of sectors manage the complex challenges of succeeding in the global economy. We are a values-driven law firm, guided by the principles of excellence, leadership, and citizenship. Our commitment to these values is reflected in our dedication to improving access to justice through pro bono work and championing initiatives that increase the diversity of the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.omm.com.