MBT Article.qxp - Meckler Bulger Tilson Marick and Pearson LLP

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Assuring Women’s Advancement in the Legal Marketplace: Meckler Bulger & Tilson Capitalizes on Work/Life Balance When it comes to private law practice, women attorneys are often asked to accept that “one size fits all.” The Chicago law firm of Meckler Bulger & Tilson LLP (MBT) rejects that view. In accommodating individual attorneys’ unique needs for work/life balance, MBT has created a culture that has made it possible to attract, retain and advance an ever-growing number of successful women attorneys. From flextime and telecommuting arrangements, to part-time status and extended maternity leaves, MBT has developed innovative solutions to meet the needs of all of its attorneys. Rebecca Haller, for example, a partner in MBT’s insurance coverage practice, enjoys the practice of law and is accustomed to the workload. This year, however, after making the decision (with her husband) to take in and care for her ailing parents and her disabled brother, Haller needed time to make the transition and the flexibility to balance things going forward. "The firm has been so Rebecca Haller supportive. Their attitude is: ‘take whatever time you need’. This all happened very suddenly and I’m grateful for the firm’s willingness to accommodate us." Carrie Graziani agrees. Like Haller, Graziani works full-time as an attorney in the firm’s insurance coverage practice. Yet their needs are different. Graziani, an associate balancing her career with her roles as a wife and new mother, works an earlier schedule to increase her evening time at home. “The people here work hard and yet are very family oriented,” Graziani comments. She shares a story about having to unexpectedly take a few days off to nurse her children during a recent illness saying, “Our firm leaders are very supportive. Situations like this seem to always arise at critical times, and yet it’s never an issue.” She continues, “It’s important to me that the firm is so supportive of my family commitments.” As a result, women stick at MBT – a fact recognized by The Chicago Lawyer when it published diversity survey results showing MBT to be “the first majority-owned large Chicago law firm to top the 30% mark for women partners.” As Graziani points out, “Unlike other law firms, it’s not a revolving door here for women. It’s a win-win situation. I get to be a successful attorney and a good mother at the same time.” Flexibility Starts at the Top As Chairman of MBT’s Diversity Committee, and a partner in the firm’s labor and employment law practice, Stuart Garbutt champions flexible work arrangements for all of the firm’s 85 attorneys. "We realize that every attorney is likely to face a life situation at some point in a career. When MBT was founded a dozen years ago, too few law firms were making meaningful work/life concessions and as a result firms were forcing highly-capable women out of their practices in distressing numbers.” MBT decided to be different. The firm began to focus on the keys to women’s advancement in the marketplace and, over the years, has reaped significant benefits from doing so. “These are women who add so much value to our firm that we no longer feel their flexible arrangements are an accommodation.” Far too often, law firms deem it impossible to utilize attorneys with outside demands that may
“These are women who add so much value to our firm that we no longer feel their flexible arrangements are an accommodation.” affect their availability. However, by addressing and creatively managing those demands, MBT has been able to capitalize on this component of its highly productive workforce. Anna Wermuth, an associate in the firm’s labor and employment law practice, typifies this phenomenon. Her husband is an actor whose professional obligations occupy many of his evenings (though he attends to their two young daughters during the day). If at all possible, Anna does not want to miss her time with the family at dinner, nor the girls’ homework and bedtime stories. MBT affords her the flexibility to Anna Wermuth start her days early so she can fulfill her work obligations and still make it home by dinner, with rare exceptions. She thus makes efficient use of her time while making significant contributions to the firm’s practice. “Our firm does not place a premium on face time,” Wermuth says. “I like working here, and even though I work hard, I do not have to do so at the expense of my family." Managing professional and personal demands in this way is not a skill taught in law school, but it is one of the keys to success in a client-service industry. Other Examples Abound Several years ago, Lisa Breen was shopping around for a firm to accommodate her family situation when she learned about MBT. Now an attorney in the firm’s insurance coverage practice, Breen has a child whose special needs require recurring, time-consuming therapy. So Breen sought a firm that would offer her enough flexibility to manage those special needs without neglecting her work commitments. Today, Lisa has what she describes as the perfect fit – part-time work practicing the law that she loves. “MBT has always been completely flexible with me,” Breen relays. “It’s been a great blessing.” Now with school starting, Breen has needed to adjust her schedule again – arriving later in the morning so she can participate in the daily off-toschool ritual. Georgene Wilson is another example. Wilson started at MBT three years ago as a partner in the firm’s commercial litigation practice. But only two weeks into the job her husband unexpectedly passed away. She became a single parent overnight – with two of her three children still in high school. In the wake of this tragedy, Wilson found herself struggling with an array of intense and completely unanticipated demands. In consultation with her practice group leaders, she chose to take a leave of absence, returning three months later to reassume her full-time practice. “I was not accustomed to needing special accommodations when it came to my schedule. It was a difficult adjustment for me. The firm has been extraordinarily flexible and responsive to my needs.” Wilson thinks the firm understands that flexibility in the face of unplanned demands can lead to happier, more productive attorneys. “It is the culture of our firm to afford the attorneys the flexibility to balance their professional and personal commitments,” she says. Yet another example is Eileen Baker, a partner in MBT’s labor and employment practice, who recently became a new mother. As she returns to her caseload from an extended 9-month maternity leave, Baker faces an entirely new world of challenges. She plans to return on a part-time basis – working with the firm to establish an arrangement that will allow her to resume her practice while balancing the demands of her newborn. “I am very lucky to be part of this organization,” Baker explains. “Some lawyers who look for this type of arrangement at other firms have been taken off the partnership track.” At MBT, Baker was
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MBT Article.qxp - Meckler Bulger Tilson Marick and Pearson LLP

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