About Duane Morris
Past and Present
Accolades, Recognition and Honors
Diversity
Women's Initiative
Pro Bono Program
[ 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, was designed by and for Duane Morris women attorneys. The Initiative formally 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 e-discovery, protecting trade secrets and international transactions, as well as panel discussions on legal trends geared toward female in-house counsel. For the past two years, the Initiative has sponsored 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 will be offering dynamic programming throughout the calendar year. Watch for more CLEs, panel presentations and networking events.
Awards & Accolades
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. Duane Morris is ranked as a top law firm by the Lawyers Club of San Diego, a bar association that seeks to advance women in the profession. The Lawyers Club surveyed top firms in San Diego and ranked them by percentage of local female partners.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Americans, rated Duane Morris one of the top organizations in its 2009 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 95 out of 100 possible points, a 15 point increase over the 2008 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 five years.
Individual partners have been cited for their leadership in the practice of law.
- 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.
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:
- The Women's Council on Energy and the Environment Presents "EPA's Methane to Markets Partnership", hosted by Sheila Slocum Hollis, a past president of WCEE
- Rachael G. Pontikes, speaker, Indiana Lawyer's 2008 Diversity in Practice Conference, on "Changing the System: Enhancing Multicultural Competence in Law Firms"
- Women's Initiative-sponsored seminar, A Pragmatic Approach to the Attorney-Client Privilege and Related Ethics Issues for In-House Counsel
- Jane Dalton, speaker, Women in the Legal Profession Summit: Rainmaking, Negotiating and Collaborative Development
- Tamara McNulty, panelist, Associated Owners & Developers 2008 National Conference East-Atlanta
- Sheila Hollis, speaker, 6th Annual Atlantic Canada Power Summit
- Sheila Hollis, speaker, GRC Executive Summit '08
- Cynthia Baldwin, panel moderator, International Women's Forum World Leadership Conference
- Pittsburgh partner Cynthia Baldwin, host, A Professional Woman's Quandary: What Is Business Casual?, a Duane Morris Women's Initiative Wine and Cheese
- Susan Okin Goldsmith, panel moderator, Powerful Women . . . Powerful Choices, a Women in Technology seminar presented by the New Jersey Technology Council
- Tamara McNulty, panelist, Professional Women in Construction Seminar
- Duane Morris Chairman John J. Soroko, presenter on "Best Practices for the Retention and Promotion of Women Lawyers," Philadelphia Bar Association's first Women in the Profession Summit. Soroko was quoted in an article about the event, published in The Legal Intelligencer
- Women's Initiative-sponsored breakfast CLE program, Bridging the Communication Gap: Improving the In-House and Outside Counsel Relationship, geared toward women attorneys
- Sharon L. Caffrey, co-chair, LexisNexis® Women in the Legal Profession Summit
Full list of Duane Morris Events
Bylined Articles
Developing Emotional Intelligence to Avoid Traps in a Litigation Practice
By Katherine Y. Fergus and Bronwyn L. Roberts | The Woman Advocate | Summer 2008
The Loss of Privileged Information by Intentional or Inadvertent Production to a Third Party
By Sheila Raftery Wiggins | New Jersey Law Journal | June 16, 2008
FMLA Expanded to Cover Relatives of Military Service Members
By Eve I. Klein and Christopher D. Durham | HR Now | Spring 2008
The New Stark Rules: What Does Stark II Phase III Mean for Healthcare Providers?
By Patricia S. Hofstra and Neville M. Bilimoria | The Journal of Medical Practice Management | May/June 2008
Non-Payment for Medical Records: What You Need to Know
By Kathleen Carver Cheney and Karen B. Siteman | Modern Healthcare | March 2008
For more information on the Duane Morris Women's Initiative, please contact partners Sharon Caffrey or Sandra Jeskie.