Chapman is pleased to announce that it has been named to the Best Law Firms for Women 2021 list, published by Seramount (formerly Working Mother Media). The list recognizes 50 law firms that have demonstrated a significant investment in recruiting, retaining, promoting, developing, and advancing women lawyers. This is our thirteenth appearance on the list.
“Chapman is incredibly proud of our longstanding commitment to support each of our attorneys in achieving both their professional and personal goals – before, during, and after the pandemic,” said Stacey Kielbasa, Chapman’s Chief Talent Officer. “Chapman’s women attorneys hold important leadership positions within the firm, and we consider all women attorneys as vital to the firm’s success. We are honored by Seramount’s recognition, for the thirteenth time, of Chapman’s programs and policies for women attorneys.”
"They stepped up and offered increased flexibility and new benefit programs to help this critical talent pool balance both work and homelife,” said Subha V. Barry, CEO of Seramount, of this year’s law firm honorees.
Chapman continues to strengthen and develop a variety of initiatives tailored to support the careers of women attorneys. Partners Kim Ahlgrim, of the Asset Securitization Department, and Rebecca Wallenfelsz, of the Trusts and Estates Department, serve as co-chairs of Chapman’s Women Attorneys Business Resource Group, which hosts networking events and mentoring sessions to help attorneys prepare for leadership roles. Chapman’s sponsor program pairs diverse associates, counsel, senior counsel, and staff attorneys with members of firm leadership to identify and pursue professional and business development goals and opportunities. Chapman also has a Working Parents Business Resource Group that offers parents resources and opportunities to share their experiences and insights, and provides input to firm leadership on additional programs and policies that support working parents. Chapman offers extensive parental leave, backup child care, employee assistance programs that provide support services for women and working parents, educational events, comprehensive benefits for same-sex couples, and private rooms for nursing mothers. Chapman has adopted policies and provided resources designed to enable lawyers to work remotely and expanded these policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The firm’s longstanding policies allowing for flexible and part-time work, and business development and networking training and coaching, continue to help our women thrive in all stages of their careers. Chapman has also adopted the Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule, which measures whether law firms affirmatively considered at least 30 percent women, lawyers of color, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions.
Chapman will be honored at Seramount’s Women Reimagine: How We Work event on December 9, 2021.