UK firms struggle with diversity in equity partnerships

Efforts to remedy the imbalance between male and female equity partners in the UK’s largest firms don’t seem to be making much progress, according to the annual ‘UK 200’ report released by The Lawyer. Since 2006 Freshfields Bruckhaus Derringer has reduced the representation of women in the equity partnership by 15 per cent, while Simmons & Simmons has 47 per cent fewer female equity partners now than five years ago. Simmons’ Managing partner Jeremy Hoyland said that he recognised that there was a diversity issue at the firm, and that steps were being taken to address the problem, including flexible working plans and parental benefits. He added that four of the 13 associates made up to the partnership in the last promotions round were women, and two of them were on maternity leave during the process.

UK firms struggle with diversity in equity partnerships thelawyer.com Mon, Sep 12, 2011