One of only five law firms listed this year, leading international legal practice Norton Rose has been ranked within The Times Top 50 Employers for Women 2013 for the first time.
The Times Top 50 Employers for Women, in partnership with Opportunity Now, recognises organisations that have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to supporting the progression of women at every level and promoting gender equality across all aspects of the business.
Deirdre Walker, global head of litigation and dispute resolution at Norton Rose commented:
“It is a great privilege to be recognised for the first time as one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. This acknowledges the changes and progress we have made in recent years. We have introduced a number of initiatives which have been successful in helping to support the career development of women at Norton Rose. There is still work to be done, but we are confident that through such initiatives we can create a workplace which values and encourages gender equality as part of a broader commitment to diversity and inclusion.”
Diversity is an essential part of the Norton Rose culture with a strong focus on gender equality. Initiatives include:
Career Strategies Programme: The Career Strategies Programme looks at providing women with the necessary skills and support for promotion and challenging barriers to effective flexible working. It aims to identify female talent early through a robust talent management process and then to nurture, develop and retain those individuals on their way to senior positions.
WiN Network: In 2011 Norton Rose launched the Women in Norton Rose Network to provide specific learning and networking opportunities for women and clients. International Women’s Day is just one of the events celebrated annually.
(G)irls 20 Summit: As global founding partners of the G(irls)20 Summit, Norton Rose supports the empowerment of girls and women for economic, political and social development. The practice has been involved in the Summit since it was established to run alongside the G20 Summit, providing a forum in which issues surrounding the empowerment and inclusion of women globally can be discussed and communicated to G20 leaders. Norton Rose runs a workshop to provide delegates with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills.
PRIME: As founding members of PRIME, Norton Rose runs a programme for 16-17 year old students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds providing quality work experience, mentoring and skills development. More than 60% of 38 students on the current programme are girls from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Kathryn Nawrockyi, Acting Director of Opportunity Now, said:
“All organisations included in The Times Top 50 Employers for Women must be praised for their commitment to the recruitment, retention and progression of their female talent. The high number of entries and high calibre of comprehensive activity made the judging process extremely competitive, but it is clear that this year’s Top 50 are leading the charge on organisational and cultural change, embedding accountability and delivery of activity at all levels, from the CEO to line managers.”
