Leading Women Lawyers in New York City, Powered by Crain’S Custom, Are Trailblaz- Ers Who Found Multiple Paths to Excellence
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An Advertising Supplement to Crain’s New York Business Meet some of the New York Bar’s most talented lawyers, who just happen to be women The 100 New Yorkers named to the inaugural list of Leading Women Lawyers in New York City, powered by Crain’s Custom, are trailblaz- ers who found multiple paths to excellence. Some are partners and practice leaders at the city’s big law firms, others corporate counsel at Manhattan companies. Some unabashedly champion their fellow minority female attorneys, while others feed their passions for public service by donating their time generously to pro bono causes. These are women who juggle both distinguished careers and exceptional civic and philanthropic activities. In acknowledging the talents of to the heights of their careers against Morales advises law firms to keep close these 100 women, Crain’s is merely a background of sometimes blatant, watch on who they elevate to partner. sometimes unconscious bias. Only If there are too few women, they must tapping into New York’s rich history a very foolish man, though, would reassess whether females have access of female lawyers who refused to try to objectify or demean these to power in the firm structure, and be defined by their gender. gifted attorneys. guard against unconscious bias and blind spots. Law firms must also lean on Since the 1800s, the state has been “When someone said obnoxious specific tools that cultivate the careers of home to “amazing trailblazing women things or made a stupid comment, I younger female attorneys and give them attorneys who broke through barriers was so incredulous I’d laugh and say, access to training, client development, and blatant discrimination to make ‘Are you kidding me?’ because it was mentoring and management opportu- major contributions in the legal profes- so ridiculous,” said Terri Adler, who nities. Law firms also should track why sion,” the New York State Bar Associa- chairs the real estate practice at Duval associates leave, and set goals to address tion’s Committee on Women in the Law & Stachenfeld. “I’m not afraid to problems that can include a lack of flexi- recently noted. “Their stories are ones confront people openly.” ble work policies that improve retention. of fierce determination, passion for the law, keen intelligence, and inspiring Adler reminds young lawyers to present Many partners on the Crain’s 100 list achievement.” themselves as “being as good or better are in a position to boost that pipeline than anyone in the room, because of female talent. There are more than In an age when women grace the you are.” 15 practice area chairs, at least five law Supreme Court of the United States, it firm managing partners, and a few firm may seem out of date to celebrate the Although statistics document a historic founders. With such exceptional talent achievements of one particular gen- lack of gender parity, in a November among our inaugural class of Leading der. Yet as far as female attorneys have report, the Diversity & Flexibility Alli- Women Lawyers, no doubt the future come, let’s not forget what has domi- ance announced that the percentage ratio of female partners will rise at New nated the news headlines: high-profile of women promoted to partnership in York law firms as these exceptional cases of sexual harassment against 2017 in many of the country’s largest women mentor a new generation of women. and top-grossing law firms was at a legal superstars. six-year high: 38.1%, up five percentage •••••• “It’s a mixed sense of it’s about time, but points since 2012. Another welcome also, we’ve been through this before,” statistic: 32.3% of law firms had a new The profiles in this report are drawn said Myra Freed, president of the New partner class consisting of at least from submitted nomination materials as York Women’s Bar Association. 50% females. well as from Crain’s Custom research. No lawyer paid to be featured. There is She is referring, of course, to law profes- The numbers are moving in the right an exceptional pool of talented female sor Anita Hill’s testimony and allegations direction, but they should be moving attorneys in New York. We recognize of sexual harassment made during the along faster. that this year’s inaugural list is not Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings comprehensive, and look forward to a in 1991. “The reason we track them is the im- future of exceptional potential honoree portance of documenting the partner- nominations as the Leading Women That history is important to note. Some ship pipeline,” said Manar Morales, the Lawyers in New York City becomes a 130 years after Kate Stoneman became alliance’s president and chief executive. new tradition for the city’s legal com- the first woman, in 1886, to be admitted “Firms have to dig behind the partner- munity. Please join Crain’s Custom in to the New York bar, these 100 wom- ship numbers, and look where they congratulating a truly impressive en celebrated by Crain’s have climbed went wrong or did well.” inaugural class. S1 AMRITH KAUR AAKRE TERRI L. ADLER NEYSA ALSINA LAUREN ANGELILLI Legal director Partner Counsel Partner THE SIKH COALITION DUVAL & STACHENFELD NEW YORK CITY BAR ASSOCIATION CRAVATH SWAINE & MOORE ••• ••• ••• ••• Amrith Kaur Aakre’s work for the Terri Adler is a real estate lawyer with ex- Neysa Alsina provides advice on in- An expert on issues including tax law, Coalition entails protecting the civil rights pertise in both national and international tellectual property, employment law, mergers and acquisitions, spinoffs, of all Americans in such critical areas as markets. She oversees one of the largest corporate governance and more. She is restructurings and joint ventures, Lauren hate crimes, bullying and racial profiling. real estate practice groups in New York a member of the Board of Directors of Angelilli serves in her firm’s tax depart- Her experience with this work includes City and has helped clients understand the Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial ment. She frequently represents clients co-drafting a Senate resolution that laws and regulations in countries world- Internship Program, which assists high in front of the I.R.S. on private ruling mat- successfully strengthened existing hate wide. She’s a member of WX–New York school and law students in landing in- ters. Angelilli takes on pro bono work at crime prosecution after 9/11. Aakre par- Women Executives in Real Estate, which ternships with state and federal judges. Cravath, and is an advocate for recruiting ticipated in the grassroots activism that works to advance women in the field. Alsina is also a member of the New York and promoting women at the firm, as helped form the Sikh Coalition in 2001. City Bar Association’s Committee to well as mentoring female colleagues. Enhance Diversity in the Profession. In 1886, New York State admitted the first woman,Kate Stoneman, to its bar association* JUDITH A. ARCHER KAREN ARTZ ASH Partner Partner NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT KATTEN MUCHIN ROSENMAN ••• ••• After serving six years as the in-house Karen Artz Ash helps those in the fashion counsel for AT&T, Archer became a industry with cases involving intellectual litigation partner specializing in com- property and trademark licensing. When plex commercial cases. She is also a not serving on legal cases, she works as proponent of professional women’s an academic. Her work has appeared advancement. She serves on the grants in The Licensing Journal and Managing advisory committee for the New York Intellectual Property Magazine, and she Women’s Foundation, and is a member is a contributing author of several books, ELSA AYOUB CHRISTINA M. BALTZ of the women’s-focused subcommittee including Fashion Law – A Guide for Attorney at law Partner THE LAW OFFICES OF ELSA AYOUB WITHERS BERGMAN of the Association of the Bar of the City Designers, Fashion Executives and Attor- ••• ••• of New York. neys and Becoming a Fashion Designer. Elsa Ayoub represents multinational Christina Baltz works with the firm’s corporations and individuals in industries private client and tax team to assist fam- including media, education, financial ilies with wealth and charitable planning services and banking—on issues pertain- strategies, corporate and family gov- In 1943, Florence Perlow Shientag ing to business immigration law, including ernance, and family office needs and visa strategies, naturalization and perma- objectives. Baltz recently spearheaded became New York’s first female prosecutor nent residence status. She also represents Withers’ inaugural Women & Wealth as the assistant U.S. attorney for the foreign business owners looking to event, a forum that gathered women in * immigrate to the U.S. Ayoub is a member business, philanthropy and technology. Southern District of New York of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. *Source: New York State Bar Association Committee on Women in the Law S2 An Advertising Supplement to Crain’s New York Business In 1942, Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft’s Catherine Noyes Lee is the first female partner at a major Wall Street law firm* LUISE A. BARRACK MEREDITH BEUCHAW Managing member Partner ROSENBERG & ESTIS COOLEY ••• ••• Luise Barrack, who leads the firm’s Meredith Beuchaw counsels clients on litigation department, focuses on matters that include mergers and acqui- complex commercial litigation at the sitions, restructurings, joint ventures and trial and appellate levels. She main- corporate governance. She’s worked tains a diverse client roster, comprising extensively in the tech industry, repre- not-for-profit companies, developers, senting strategic and financial acquir- educational institutions and more, and ers and acquisition targets. Beuchaw has represented many of her clients has provided assistance pro bono to SHEILA S. BOSTON ERICA F. BUCKLEY for nearly three decades.