This two-office San Francisco–based firm is dedicated to creating a nonstigmatized flex program, and reduced-hours attorneys are treated as full participants. Indeed, flexibility is ingrained in the culture, and 46% of the firm’s female attorneys are working some form of reduced hours—ranging from 60% to 90% of a full-time schedule. In addition, eight full-equity partners out of 12 work reduced hours. The firm is committed to nurturing women leaders in roles both internal and external. Women are represented in every facet of leadership at the firm: Two women partners sit on the firm’s five-member strategic advisory board, the equivalent of a board of directors, and the St. Helena office’s managing partner is a woman. Stephanie Skaff, a partner in Farella’s business litigation and intellectual property and technology groups and a mother of two young children, described the firm’s culture this way: “The firm has a commitment to creating a pipeline to leadership for women. Nearly every leadership role that I hold or have held—both inside and outside the firm—resulted in large part from the recommendations, contacts and active mentoring provided by more senior partners at the firm. In turn, I have committed to myself to passing along the same types of opportunities to more junior women at Farella.”

Female Equity Partners 18%
Female Nonequity Partners 67%
Lawyers Working Reduced Hours 24%