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City law firm lets top staff go part-time to boost role of women
Miranda Bryant22 Jan 2010
Partners at one of the City's top law firms are to be allowed to work part-time in an attempt to encourage more women into the role.
The move at Allen & Overy is the biggest of its kind among the “magic circle” legal companies of the Square Mile.
Traditionally, equity partners are often expected to work 80-hour weeks, which makes it difficult for women who want a family.
But from May they will be allowed to cut their hours down to a four-day week or take an extra 52 days' annual leave for up to eight years.
Junior lawyers and support staff have already been allowed to take up flexible working, but equity partners were seen as too important not to work full-time — although they can earn more than
£1 million a year.
Allen & Overy senior partner David Morley said the lack of female partners was not due to sexism, but many women found the idea of becoming a partner unappealing.
About 62 per cent of its graduate intake and 42 per cent of its solicitors are women, but only 72 of 458 partners are female.
The firm found its brightest young
woman lawyers left on the verge of becoming a partner at twice the rate as their male colleagues.
Mr Morley said: “If you look forward over the next 10 years, are successful firms still going to have only 15 per cent of their partners being women? The answer's got to be no.
“We believe it's going to be a matter of competitive advantage if you've been able to put in place policies which encourage more women to come into the partnership.”
Dominique Graham, director at legal consultancy Graham Gill, said many equity partners could be reluctant to go part-time: “If you're at that level they need you full time, all the time. It's not a question of being male or female. When you're at the top end you work your socks off.”
In September Prince Harry's Zimbabwean girlfriend Chelsy Davy is set to begin training at Allen & Overy. The 24-year-old was due to take up her post last September but deferred her start date so she could travel the world.
Reader views (1)
Whatever, happened to lawyers (anyone) being promoted on their merits, rather than if they are male or female. Allen & Overy are giving the impression, rightly or wrongly, that they will discriminate in promotion.
- Andrew, London, 23/01/2010 00:09
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