Buchanan Achieves WILEF 2018 Gold Standard Certification

Buchanan has achieved WILEF’s Gold Standard Certification again in 2018. WILEF Certification emphasizes the leadership roles achieved by equity women partners, rather than the policies or practices of the firm or the overall number or percentage of women in the partnership. 2018 WILEF Gold Standard Certification is available to firms that successfully demonstrate that women represent a meaningful percentage of their equity partners, of their highest leadership positions, of their governance and compensation committees, of their most highly compensated partners and that there be meaningful diversity among their women partners.

For 2018 Gold Standard Certification, a meaningful percentage means that the firm satisfies both the mandatory criterion that: 20% of equity partners or, alternatively, 33% or more of the attorneys becoming equity partners during the past twelve months are women and at least three of the following five criteria:

• 15% of firm and U.S. branch office heads are women equity partners
• 20% of the firm’s governance committee are women equity partners
• 20% of the firm’s compensation committee or its equivalent are women equity partners
• 15% of the top half of the firm’s equity partners in terms of compensation are women
• 7% of women equity partners are women of color or 3.5% of women equity partners are LGBT