/EINPresswire.com/ -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - December 16, 2016) - Sedgwick LLP is pleased to announce it has been awarded the 2016 Gold Standard Certification by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF). Sedgwick is one of only 37 law firms nationally to receive this recognition. Certification is based on an objective assessment to determine which big law firms in the United States have successfully integrated women partners into top leadership positions. Law firms with 300 or more practicing lawyers in the United States are considered for Gold Standard Certification. This is the third year Sedgwick has achieved the Gold Standard Certification since it began in 2011.

Sedgwick is particularly proud of this recertification in light of the fact that WILEF raised its standard criteria for the award this year, making it more difficult to obtain the gold certification than in previous years. The list of firms receiving certification in 2016 contains 13 less law firms than last year's list. Certification was awarded to firms who met four or more of six criteria for women in leadership roles:

• 20 percent of U.S. equity partners or, alternatively, one-third of non-lateral attorneys that became U.S. equity partners within the previous 12 months
• 15 percent of firm and U.S. branch office heads combined
• 20 percent of the primary governance committee
• 20 percent of the compensation committee or its equivalent
• 25 percent of U.S. practice group leaders/department heads
• 15 percent of the top half of U.S. equity partners in terms of compensation

"Sedgwick is proud to receive the 2016 WILEF Gold Standard Certification," said Mike Healy, Chair of the firm. "This year's achievement is especially notable given that the bar for certification was set higher than at any time in the past. This certification reflects Sedgwick's commitment to our women attorneys through such programs as the Sedgwick Women's Forum and encourages us to continue our goal of supporting women's initiatives that­­­ create encouragement and opportunities for our extraordinary female attorneys to thrive and realize their full potential."

Sedgwick Dallas Partner Maria "KiKi" Karos, chair of the Sedgwick Women's Forum, agrees, "I am excited that Sedgwick has received this year's prestigious WILEF Gold Standard Certification," she said. "Sedgwick Women's Forum was established over ten years ago to support the professional growth and networking opportunities for our women attorneys and to address the unique professional challenges they can face. Every year we establish new goals to provide more ways to help our female attorneys advance in their professional and personal lives and reach their leadership potential. It is gratifying to receive recognition that our work is helping to produce real results for our firm and for our women."

WILEF is the premier organization for women from large law firms and corporate law departments in the United States. The Gold Standard Certification recognizes firms with meaningful percentages of women in leadership roles, rather than the policies or practices of the firm or the overall number or percentage of women in the partnership. Sedgwick previously received the WILEF Gold Standard Certification in 2011 ­­and 2012.

An awards ceremony honoring all 2016 Gold Standard Certification winners will take place at a cocktail reception to be held in September of next year at The Yale Club in New York City.

About Sedgwick LLP
Sedgwick LLP provides trial, appellate, litigation management, counseling, risk management and transactional legal services to the world's leading companies. With offices in Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Kansas City, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark, Orange County (Calif.), San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C., and an affiliated office in Bermuda, Sedgwick's collective experience spans the globe and virtually every industry. For more information about Sedgwick, its lawyers and the services it provides, visit www.sedgwicklaw.com.