Duane Morris Women's Initiative
Developing Opportunities for Women in the Legal Profession
The Duane Morris Women's Initiative, led by partners Sharon Caffrey and Sandra Jeskie, brings together women attorneys throughout the firm to exchange ideas, foster and expand business contacts and opportunities, and enhance attorney development.
The Initiative develops and sponsors programs on various topics, including women's leadership, legal trends geared toward female in-house counsel and practice-related issues. The Initiative sponsors a multi-city clothing drive for Dress for Success, collecting and donating professional clothing and accessories to help women in low-income communities. In addition, the Initiative holds internal networking lunches and activities for Duane Morris women attorneys, including a Women's Initiative Retreat for all women attorneys that focuses on educational programming as well as networking. The Women's Initiative also regularly hosts events with the National Association of Women Lawyers to benefit abused women and children.
The Women's Initiative will be offering dynamic programming throughout the calendar year. Watch for more CLEs, panel presentations and networking events.
Awards & Accolades
Duane Morris has been cited as one of seven firms in the 2010 Honor Roll of Legal Organizations Welcoming Women Professionals. Created by the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Commission on Women in the Profession (WIP), the annual list recognizes law firms that are committed to diversity and provide tools to enable women lawyers to continue and advance in their professional careers. They include flexible work schedules, backup childcare, networking events and other innovative programs.
Duane Morris' San Diego office is ranked first in the Lawyers Club of San Diego 2009 Equality Survey by percentage of female partners, and is noted for its overall percentage of female lawyers and firmwide policies regarding part-time arrangements and paternity leave.
Jane Dalton and Kate Fergus have been honored by Duane Morris in recognition of their leadership and contributions to women in the profession. Philadelphia employment law partner Dalton was honored for her distinguished career as well as her continuing efforts to advance women lawyers in the profession through leadership and mentoring. Boston-based litigation attorney Fergus was recognized for her ability to successfully model a "work-life balance," a topic that she has written about extensively.
In 2007, Duane Morris was named one of the top 50 law firms for women by Working Mother magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, a national consulting firm focused on the advancement of women in the legal profession. Best Law Firms for Women honored Duane Morris for its commitment to the retention and advancement of female lawyers and professional staff.
The firm has also been listed by Women 3.0 magazine as one of the Top 100 Law Firms for Women. Philadelphia magazine named Duane Morris one of the Best Places to Work, noting the firm's strong mentoring and networking programs for women attorneys.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Americans, gave Duane Morris a perfect score and rated one of the top organizations in its 2010 Corporate Equality Index and Best Places to Work Survey. The survey rates businesses and firms on non-discrimination policies, gender identity and diversity training, domestic partner health insurance and other benefits for domestic partners. Duane Morris scored 100 out of 100 possible points, a 5 point increase over the 2009 survey.
In addition to its high marks for its policies, training and benefits, Duane Morris has been a major sponsor of the Equality Forum, a national nonprofit GLBT organization, and its annual International Equality Dinner for the past six years.
Individual attorneys have been cited for their leadership in the practice of law.
- Mehrin Masud-Elias was recently appointed a board member of the South Asian Bar Association of Philadelphia, serving as Secretary for the organization. Masud-Elias was also on the planning committee for the 2009 National South Asian Bar Association Convention. She has presented nationally on topics including challenges facing South Asian women in law and navigating diversity in the workplace. She has been listed as one of the "Lawyers on the Fast Track" by The Legal Intelligencer.
- Vicki G. Norton, Ph.D., of the San Diego office, has been appointed as chairperson of the California State Bar Committee on Administration of Justice by the State Bar Board of Governors.
- Sandra A. Jeskie, co-chair of the firm's Information Technologies and Telecom interdisciplinary practice group, has been named president of the International Technology Law Association.
- Cyndie Chang, an associate in Los Angeles, has been accepted to join the ABA's Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) Leadership Academy for the 2010-2011 bar year. TIPS is a highly competitive program for emerging leaders.
- Mikel Bistrow, a partner in the Business Reorganization and Financial Restructuring Practice Group in San Diego, was named one of the Top 25 Lawyers in San Diego by San Diego Metropolitan magazine.
- Cheryl Blackwell Bryson, a partner in the Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group in Chicago, was awarded the 2010 Women of Excellence Award from The Chicago Defender. Bryson was honored for her reputation for excellence in the law as well as for her role as chair of the board of trustees at the DuSable Museum of African American History.
- Catherine L. Sakach has been appointed to the board of trustees of the Alice Paul Institute, the nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about the life and work of Alice Paul and her fellow suffragists.
- Partner Denyse Sabagh was named as one of the 30 "Stars of the Bar" in Washingtonian magazine's listing of the "top guns of the profession" in Washington, D.C. The magazine said, "Sabagh's peers describe her as the immigration lawyer who can do it all."
- Partner Lida Rodriguez-Taseff was selected to be honored by The Miami Workers Center, an organization that develops and supports community organizing campaigns and education programs. Rodriguez-Taseff was chosen for her work mobilizing thousands of Latinos in the area during the 2008 presidential campaign.
- Sheila Hollis has been named a finalist for a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the 11th Annual Platts Global Energy Awards.
- Mark Lipowicz, a trial partner in Philadelphia, was elected president of the board of directors of the Women Against Abuse Legal Center. Lipowicz is a longtime member of the board of directors of Women Against Abuse, which is Pennsylvania's largest anti-domestic violence agency.
- Partner Kathleen Shay was honored with a Women of Distinction award, given by the Philadelphia Business Journal and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).
- The Legal Intelligencer and Pennsylvania Law Weekly have selected Duane Morris' Sandra G. Stoneman among the 2008 Lawyers on the Fast Track, the future leaders of the state's legal community. A profile of Stoneman appears here.
- Partner Sheila Raftery Wiggins was named one of the New Jersey Law Journal's 2008 "40 Under 40" based on her professional achievements and demonstrated leadership in the law.
- Partner Jane Dalton, former Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, was honored with a Women of Distinction award, given by the Philadelphia Business Journal and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).
- Cheryl Blackwell Bryson received one of the most coveted honors in Chicago, the YWCA Outstanding Women Leaders in Professions Award.
- Sheila Hollis was appointed chair of the Council of the American Bar Association's Fund for Justice and Education.
- Sandra Jeskie was recently named to the exclusive BTI Client Service All-Star Team, cited for her "outstanding attention to clients."
- Margery Reed was profiled in Bankruptcy Law 360 for her outstanding work in the bankruptcy field.
- Denyse Sabagh has been named one of the Washington, D.C. area's top immigration attorneys by Legal Times.
Part-Time/Flex-Time Policy for Attorneys
Duane Morris offers viable part-time schedules for attorneys. We understand the needs of some of our attorneys to work a nontraditional schedule, and we balance those needs with the firm's commitment to serve our clients at the highest level.
Speaking Engagements and Events
The Women's Initiative as well as individual attorneys regularly host, lead and speak at events relating to women and leadership in the law.
Recent and upcoming events include:
Duane Morris to Host National Association of Women Lawyers MCLE Presentation and Mixer
August 5, 2010 | San Francisco | Duane Morris LLP
Duane Morris Partner Joanne Erde to Speak at American Health Lawyers Association Annual Meeting and In-House Counsel Program
June 27, 2010 | Seattle | Sheraton Seattle Hotel
Duane Morris Attorney Mehrin Masud-Elias to Speak at the 2010 NASABA Convention
June 24, 2010 | Boston | Fish & Richardon's Boston Office
Duane Morris Partner Sandra Jeskie to Speak at Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's "Women Take Charge" Program
June 18, 2010 | Philadelphia | Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
Duane Morris Attorney Kathryn Larkin to Speak at Pennsylvania Bar Institute Seminar "Fundamentals of ERISA - Mystery Solved!"
June 2, 2010 | Philadelphia | CLE Conference Center
Duane Morris Partner Sandra Jeskie to Speak at ITechLaw's Third Annual Tallinn Conference
May 31, 2010 | Tallinn, Estonia | Swissotel
Duane Morris Partner Joanne Erde to Speak at HFMA Florida Chapter 2010 Spring Conference & Annual Meeting
May 26, 2010 | Tampa, Florida | Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel
Duane Morris Partner Hope Krebs to Speak at the Council for International Tax Education's Annual Conference Series: U.S. International Tax Reporting & Compliance
April 19, 2010 | Philadelphia | Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel
Duane Morris Partner Joanne Erde to Speak at the Health Care Compliance Association's 14th Annual Compliance Institute
April 18, 2010 | Dallas | Hyatt Regency
Duane Morris Partner Sheila Hollis to Speak at the National Environment, Energy and Resources Law Summit: A New Environment - 2010 and Beyond
April 16, 2010 | Montréal, Canada | Marriott Chateau Champlain
Duane Morris Partner Eleissa Lavelle to Speak at Commercial Real Estate Women of Las Vegas' "Foreclosures 101" Program
April 8, 2010 | Las Vegas | Morton's the Steakhouse
Duane Morris Partner Sheila Hollis to Speak at 7th Annual Canadian Oil Sands Summit
February 2, 2010 | Calgary, Canada | TELUS Conference Centre
Duane Morris Partner Sheila Hollis to Deliver Keynote Speech at Insight Information's GEA and The Smart Grid Development in Ontario Conference
January 26, 2010 | Toronto, Canada | St. Andrew's Club and Conference Centre
Duane Morris Partner Katherine Benesch to Speak at the 2010 Conflict Prevention & Resolution Annual Meeting
January 14, 2010 | New York City | International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution
Full list of Duane Morris Events
Bylined Articles
Making Your Business Development Plan Recession-Proof
By Sharon Caffrey and Rhonda Ulrich | Marketing the Law Firm | July 2010
Flow-Down Clauses and Incorporation by Reference in Construction Contracts
By Julie M. Tedjeske | Building & Bonding: The Construction Group Newsletter | Summer 2010
Health Care Insurance Reform and Illinois' Provena Decision: What's Next for Hospitals' Charity Property Tax Exemption?
By Patricia Hofstra and Stanley Kaminski | Chicago Hospital News | June 2010
A Road Map To The Electronic Health Records Program
By Kathleen Carver Cheney and Sandra Holtzman | Law 360 | May 10, 2010
Generic Drug Manufacturers Post-ANDA Approval Duties With Reference To Labeling Changes: Viability of Federal Preemption Defense Post-Levine
By Sharon Caffrey and Paul da Costa | Bloomberg Law Reports - Health Law | May 2010
Payment and Lien Statutes Are Potential Landmines
By Eleissa C. Lavelle | Modern Contractor Solutions | February 2010
Top Ten Mistakes Litigators Make in Arbitration
By Charlotte E. Thomas | The Young Lawyer | February/March 2010
Legislative Updates for the Workplace
By Eve I. Klein | Assisted Living Executive | January/February 2010
