Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, is pleased to announce that the firm has once again achieved Mansfield Rule Certification. A national initiative to increase the number of leadership roles held by underrepresented lawyers across the legal industry, Mansfield encourages law firms to consider at least 30 percent women, minority, and LGBTQ lawyers for all equity partner promotions, lateral partner searches and leadership roles.
In 2017, Akerman was one of “41 trailblazing law firms” to have adopted the Mansfield Rule during its inaugural pilot program. The initiative aims to improve the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for these opportunities. Participating law firms are required to establish a framework by which they can analyze their talent pool, then create and adopt guidelines to measure progress and identify areas for improvement. The Mansfield Rule originated from the 2016 Women in Law Hackathon hosted by Diversity Lab in collaboration with Bloomberg Law and Stanford School, an initiative that Akerman proudly supported in its inaugural year.
Akerman’s commitment to an inclusive environment and the advancement of the next generation of Akerman leaders has earned recent recognition. Law360 named Akerman among the top four law firms for diversity in its 2019 Diversity Snapshot, commending the firm for its “higher representation of both women and minorities at every level,” and among the top five law firms for women in Law360’s 2019 Glass Ceiling Report. In 2018, Akerman welcomed 20 female partners, accounting for 42 percent of all partner lateral hires through the year, surpassing the industry average. Additionally, Akerman’s partner promotions in 2018 exceeded 50 percent in diversity. For the fifth consecutive year, the firm also received a 100 percent rating in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality” designation.
About Akerman
Akerman LLP is a top 100 U.S. law firm recognized among the most forward thinking firms in the industry by Financial Times. Its more than 700 lawyers and business professionals collaborate with the world’s most successful enterprises and entrepreneurs to navigate change, seize opportunities, and help drive innovation and growth. Akerman is known for its results in middle market M&A and complex disputes, and for helping clients achieve their most important business objectives in the financial services, real estate and other dynamic sectors across the United States and Latin America.