Farleigh Witt Receives OWLS Workplace Leader Award
11/2/2007

OWLS Workplace Leader Award 2007
Farleigh Witt and Bodyfelt Mount Stroup & Chamberlain

Oregon Women Lawyers is proud to recognize two law firms-Farleigh Witt and Bodyfelt Mount Stroup & Chamberlain-as the joint recipients of the second annual OWLS Workplace Leader Award.

Both law firms are characterized by a culture that includes a number of qualities evincing conscious choices to favor professional fulfillment over maximizing profits:

Moderate billable hour expectations. Rather than the usual 1800-hours-plus expectation of similar firms, both firms treat 1600 hours as a full-time schedule, foregoing higher profits in favor of a more sustainable life. As a result of their commitment to maintaining more reasonable hours, both firms (whose practice includes insurance and commercial clients) exhibit a culture that promotes sharing of work and clients, where clients belong to the firm rather than to a particular lawyer.

Flexible hours and openness to part-time work. At both firms, lawyers structure their work schedules taking into account their individual or family needs, with no office “face time” requirements, and, as a result of the pioneering efforts of women lawyers, both firms have adopted a flexible attitude toward working at home. In addition, nearly all the women lawyers at Farleigh have worked part-time at some period during their careers, yet do not feel as though they are viewed as somehow lacking in commitment. The quality of their work assignments has not suffered and, in fact, they have thrived.

Transparent management practices that give women a meaningful voice. Both firms provide all attorneys with regular reports of hours billed, the firm’s financial picture, and associate salaries. Associates are given a meaningful voice in management decisions and, unlike many firms where partner votes are weighted according to a share that is calculated by the partner’s financial contribution to the firm, each partner has an equal vote at both firms. And at Farleigh, the firm’s executive committee meets in open session and invites all lawyers to participate in the discussion.

Women succeeding and becoming leaders. At Bodyfelt, two of the five partners are women, and both started at the firm early in their careers. At Farleigh, seven of 13 shareholders are women and a woman has served as president of the firm for several years. Most of these women have spent the bulk of their careers at their respective firms while bearing and raising children, and all of them have had significant influence on management decisions.

Congratulations to both firms!