Clifford Chance Launches New Women's Network
In the midst of calls for more diversity at major London law firms and a lawsuit by a former female attorney claiming that she was merely window-dressing, a United Kingdom-based behemoth has launched a women’s network.
Headed by corporate partner Kathy Honeywood and litigation partner Elizabeth Morony, the new Clifford Chance group will try to figure out what successful women have done right and help others emulate them, Honeywood tells the London Times.
Although Honeywood says she has never experienced any direct discrimination at her firm because of her sex, she does believe it is harder for women to succeed. She herself is often the only woman at meetings, for instance, a situation that can make it harder to speak with confidence and authority, she points out.
“Men have one fundamental advantage over us,” she says. “There are simply more of them. We do lack critical mass and I really think we can support women by encouraging networking both internally and externally.”
Related coverage:
Bloomberg: “London Law Firms Under Pressure to Increase Diversity, FT Says”
ABAJournal.com: “Ex-Associate Files $75M Suit, Claims She Was Window Dressing at Clifford Chance”
The Lawyer: “Top City law firms unite for first gay summit”
