Law360 rates BAL one of the best 2018 US firms for women and minority attorneys and partners

Law360 named Berry Appleman & Leiden (BAL) one of the best firms for both women and minority attorneys. The ranking distinguishes firms that consistently demonstrate above-average hiring and promoting of both women and minorities. BAL is one of the seven firms with 20-149 lawyers recognized by Law360. BAL consistently ranks among its peers on Law360’s annual Diversity Snapshot and Glass Ceiling Report.

In 2018, Law360 ranked BAL second in its peer group for the Best Law Firms for Female Attorneys in the 2018 Glass Ceiling Report and fifth in its peer group for the Best Law Firms for Minority Attorneys in the 2018 Diversity Snapshot. When looking at firm leadership, specifically, Law360 recognized BAL as a 2018 Ceiling Smasher with 42 percent of BAL’s equity partners identifying as female. Minority equity partners make up 28 percent of BAL’s leadership and BAL ranks ninth for the Best Law Firms for Minority Equity Partners on Law360.

As Law360 reports, few firms maintain above-average diversity at all levels when looking at race, ethnicity and gender, often excelling in one aspect of diversity while lagging on another. BAL consistently ranks high for diversity representation at all levels – from associates to equity partners.

Law 360 surveyed more than 300 U.S. firms, or vereins with a U.S. component, about their overall and minority headcount numbers as of Dec. 31, 2017. Only U.S.-based attorneys were included in the survey, and firms must have at least 20 U.S.-based attorneys to participate. Some BAL attorneys declined to self-identify a race.