Top firms still lag behind on women partners

Women in the largest firms are still vastly under-represented at partnership level, according to Gazette research.

Figures based on the newly published Law Society's Directory of Solicitors and Barristers show that the number of female partners in the top ten firms has risen from 14% last year to 15% this.

Overall, the figures remain low but rising gradually, with an average of 18% female partners in the top 100 firms, up from 17% last year.

Recent Society figures show that 37% of solicitors are women; however, just 24% of women are partners, compared to 52% of men.

For the third year, Manchester firm Pannone & Partners had the highest proportion of female partners at 39%.

Other firms above 30% were Landwell (38%), Trowers & Hamlins (35%), Bristows (31%) and Thompsons (30%).

Within the top ten, only Eversheds had more than 20% (22%, up from 18% last year).

KLegal had no female partners out of 17 listed in the directory but now has one in London and 11 firmwide (17%) since its merger with Scottish firm Dundas & Wilson.

Other firms with fewer than 10% women listed include Ince & Co (8%), Clyde & Co (9%) and Watson Farley & Williams (9%).

Karen Aldred, chairwoman of the Association for Women Solicitors, said she was disappointed but unsurprised by the figures.

'For years the big firms have said that the majority of female lawyers had not been qualified for long enough to reach partnership level - however, by now there must be a critical mass of women at the appropriate level.'

However, she noted that in FTSE 100 companies the number of female board members has fallen.

Victoria MacCallum