K&L Gates LLP offices across the firm’s global platform are celebrating International Women’s Day 2023 throughout the month of March, including a firmwide kickoff presentation on 8 March from Elizabeth Walker, who will share her insights and advice about life in the legal and business world. Walker’s experience includes both a tenure as general counsel and vice president in the CEO’s office for BT Global Services, and as interim general counsel and company secretary with Cancer Research UK. In addition, K&L Gates offices across the firm’s global platform will celebrate International Women’s Day with fun and meaningful internal, client-facing, and community engagement activities, such as executive women leadership roundtables; women-led CLE panel discussions; volunteering and partnering with local women’s shelters; women’s history trivia; wine tastings from women-owned businesses; and many more events supporting and accelerating women’s equality around the world.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day recognizing the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women that also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. This year’s global theme, “Embrace Equity,” reflects the idea that each of us is responsible for embracing fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all.

Cindy Ohlenforst, a partner in the Dallas office and chair of the firm’s global WIP Committee, remarked: “K&L Gates is harnessing the energy and spirit of International Women’s Day to raise awareness against bias and take action for equality. Together, we can work collectively to make a positive impact for change and forge a fair and equal world in all aspects of our lives, including workplaces, communities, learning institutions, and beyond.”

K&L Gates’ firmwide Women in the Profession Committee works to identify and promote ways for women lawyers to advance their careers, to promote women as leaders and role models, and to enhance the sense of community among women professionals across our global platform.

The firm also sponsors and participates in a number of other diversity-related programs. Internally, these include the firm’s Conversation About Race and Diversity speaker series focusing on the lingering effects of inequality and systemic racism in society; an equal justice pro bono effort to provide pro bono assistance in areas of particular need, such as voting rights, criminal justice reform, and the rights of indigenous peoples; a leadership program to help the firm’s women partners advance; an expanding K&L Gates: The Power of Partnership program with clients that offers first-year law school students the unique opportunity to experience legal work in both firm and in-house client settings; a firmwide mentoring program for diverse attorneys; and a Pathway to Success business training program with Ms. JD to aid the firm’s women associates in building their careers.

To read more about K&L Gates’ commitment and approach to diversity and inclusion, please visit the firm’s website.