Woodcock Washburn is fortified by the varied backgrounds, interests, and personalities of its people. Our commitment to diversity is reflected in every facet of our firm. It is a part of who we are and forms the foundation of our unique culture, approach and mission.
Our dedication to diversity is evident in Woodcock Washburn’s leadership; 25% of our equity partners are women, many of whom also hold prominent positions in top management, practice groups, and committees. Vault, the legal industry career guide, has recognized the firm as being "very accommodating to women" and "very welcoming to all racial and ethnic minorities and gays."
Woodcock Washburn won the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Women in the Profession Award for its promotion of women to leadership positions. Two of our female partners, Dianne Elderkin and Lynn Malinoski, made The Best Lawyers in America 2005-2006 list, and Dianne Elderkin was also honored by the Chambers USA Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers as a leading intellectual property attorney in Pennsylvania.
Our firm’s Diversity Committee continually spearheads new programs to expand our diverse culture. Our committee members are a cross-section of attorneys of different backgrounds, genders, ethnicities, levels of experience, practice areas, locations and technical expertise, and they build and maintain our diversity through various initiatives.
We recently served as a co-sponsor and program presenter at the 2006 Mid-Atlantic Black Law Students Association Conference. We continue to be a Gold Sponsor of the American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation, which awards scholarships to minority law students seeking careers in intellectual property law. Our lawyers also participate in the Philadelphia Area Minority Job Fair and co-host a Diversity Reception for first-year law students. In addition, the firm recently cosponsored Microsoft’s "Women and Minorities IP Law Summit" on the West Coast.