Few Woman Lawyers Making Partner in Kiwi Firms

Few Woman Lawyers Making Partner in Kiwi Firms

LawFuel - The Law Jobs and News Wire

Only 17 per cent of partners are women, according to a LawFuel survey

New Zealand law firms still languish behind other jurisdictions in terms of women making partner.

Following a UK survey, which showed that just over 14 per cent of women made partner in the top 50 UK law firms, LawFuel's survey of our top firms shows the figure making partner is just 17 per cent.

The blame for the low figure in the UK was largely laid at the feet of inflexible work practices and long hours. This is despite one of London’s most successful woman lawyers, Fiona Shackleton, who represented Paul McCartney in his divorce among others, insisting upon balancing family and work commitments by leaving the office early to be with her two sons when they were growing up.

Of the top 26 law firms with 611 partners (excluding hybrids like principals, consultants and senior associates etc), there were only 104 female partners.

The New Zealand law profession has always been slow to change and notwithstanding the high number of female graduates coming out of law school - at over 40 per cent - the numbers making partnership remain low.

The highest ranking firm is Anderson Lloyd with a 35 per cent ratio (11 women partners) And the lowest is Anthony Harper with none.

Top 20 Firms Women Partners (by percentage):

1 Anderson Lloyd 35
2= Arthur Watson Savage 33
2= Brookfields 33
3= Meredith Connell 25
3= Martelli McKegg 25
4 Glaister Ennor 23
5= Minter Ellison 18
5= Hesketh Henry 18
6 Simpson Grierson 17
7= Kensington Swan 15
7= Chapman Tripp 15
8= Phillips Fox 14
8= Bell Gully 14
8= Buddle Findlay 14
9= AJ Park 12
9= Russell McVeagh 12
9= Cavell Leitch 12
9= Duncan Cotterill 12

See: www.lawfuel.co.nz, the independent legal jobs and newswire

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