Sonnenschein Chairman Duane Quaini has announced the selection of 15 partners, including eight women, to Firm leadership positions, reflecting Sonnenschein’s continuing commitment to expanding our capabilities to meet the legal needs of our clients. The appointment of eight women partners to leadership positions also reflects the Firm's continuing commitment to the hiring and advancement of women and minorities.
In 1997, Sonnenschein was ranked the number one law firm for women in a nationwide survey of women lawyers at leading law firms -- published in the book Presumed Equal: What America's Top Women Lawyers Really Think About Their Firms. The survey was conducted in 1995 by the Harvard Women's Law Association.
At Sonnenschein, four partners are newly named Chairs of their respective Practice Groups: Jana Cohen Blackman will chair the Real Estate Group and Michael Froy will chair the Corporate Group,
Mr. Quaini also announced the formation of an Insurance Practice Group, which Paul Glad will chair. Kara Navarro and Donna Vobornik will serve as vice-chairs of that group. Vobornik also serves on the Firm's Legal Development Committee, Ethics Committee and Chicago Office Recruiting Committee. Navarro serves on the Recruiting Committee for the San Francisco Office.
In other appointments:
--Pamela Baker has been named vice-chair of the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group and also has been named co-head of the Chicago office; she also serves on the Firm's Legal Development Committee.
--Carol Anne Been has been named vice chair on the copyright and trademark side of the Intellectual Property Group and David Metzger has been named vice chair on the patent side;
--Michael Barr has been named vice-chair of the Litigation and Business Regulation Group;
--Bob Messerly has been named vice chair of the Real Estate Group, and
--Linda White has been named a member of the Finance Committee.
A number of other women lawyers at Sonnenschein continue their service in Firm leadership roles:
--Robin Edwards serves on the Policy and Planning Committee, the Firm's Governing Body.
--Marian Jacobson is chairman of the Firm's Legal Development Committee. Amy Bess also sits on this committee.
--Linda Harris served for many years as head of the Firm's Corporate & Securities Practice Group.
