Norton Rose Fulbright has set a target for its female partnership globally, aiming for 30% representation by 2020.
With 23% of the global partnership currently female, the firm is also aiming for 30% representation on each of its board and management committees.
The firm’s global executive committee at present already has 30% female representation while the international practice has in place several global initiatives to promote gender diversity, including a careers strategies programme; ‘support to women on their way to senior positions’; and inclusive leadership training and unconscious bias education.
Global chief executive Peter Martyr, who was recently re-elected to the role for a fifth term, said: ‘Our global diversity and inclusion initiatives play a pivotal role in retaining and developing people within Norton Rose Fulbright and we now have a clear goal on which to focus our efforts.
‘Diversity and inclusion are inseparable and gender diversity is a key part of this. Our strategy however has a broad focus and in order for us to continue to innovate and succeed it will become even more important for us to work with talented people from different backgrounds.’
Other firms to establish gender targets includes Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) which in late October committed to ensure that 30% of the partnership will be female by the end of 2018 are female, and Herbert Smith Freehills which in March announced its aim to have a 30% female partnership by 2019. Taylor Wessing recently launched a series of initiatives as it targeted a minimum of 25% of its partnership to be female by 2018.
For more analysis of law firms attempts to improve gender diversity see The Target – will tougher measures finally boost gender diversity in the City?
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
