For the third year in a row, the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) has awarded Pillsbury its Gold Standard Certification. Rather than rewarding firm policies, practices and diversity initiatives, the WILEF certification recognizes law firms with a significant percentage of women equity partners holding leadership positions.

To receive certification, firms must successfully demonstrate that women represent a meaningful percentage of their equity partners, of their highest leadership positions, of their governance and compensation committees, and of their most highly compensated partners.

While 50 firms were named to the list in 2012, Pillsbury was one of only 42 firms to feature on the 2013 list. WILEF tightened certification standards this year, restricting eligibility to firms with 200 or more lawyers. Firms were also required to meet at least four of six specific qualifying metrics. In the previous year, firms with 100 or more lawyers were eligible and firms were only required to meet three of the six criteria.

Pillsbury board members Allison Leopold Tilley, a partner in the corporate and securities technology practice, and Deborah Baum, a partner in the litigation practice, serve on the WILEF advisory board.

About Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Pillsbury is a full-service law firm with an industry focus on energy & natural resources, financial services including financial institutions, real estate & construction, and technology. Based in the world's major financial, technology and energy centers, Pillsbury counsels clients on global business, regulatory and litigation matters. We work in multidisciplinary teams that allow us to understand our clients’ objectives, anticipate trends and bring a 360-degree perspective to complex business and legal issues—helping clients to take greater advantage of new opportunities, meet and exceed their objectives and better mitigate risk. This collaborative work style helps produce the results our clients seek.