Gender Diversity - the view offshore

The Legal Services Act should have the effect of increasing the diversity of ownership of UK law firms in the future, but it appears that there remains much to be done in achieving gender diversity within existing partnerships.  Statistics are difficult to come by but in 2010 The Lawyer reported that less than 1 in 6 partners in UK law firms were women, despite the fact that they represent 60% of all newly qualified lawyers.  In its 2011 report, The Lawyer stated that of the major UK firms, the best ratio that could be found in any of the firms was 1 female partner to every 4 males, and that in some firms the percentage was declining rather than rising.

The Lawyer has now published an analysis of the world's largest offshore law firms (a full copy of which can be found at http://www.thelawyer.com/offshore-top-30/1011468.article ) from which it is possible to extrapolate some interesting statistics around the extent to which females are represented at the highest levels in these businesses (I have called them partners in this analysis, although as a number of the offshore firms have now adopted corporate structures, in many cases they now appoint directors rather than, or as well as, partners).  Although not UK law firms, most of these businesses are Anglo Saxon in origin and culture, and might be expected to follow similar patterns to their UK colleagues. In fact, on the face of it appears that many of them appear to be showing their UK counterparts the way, although there is a huge discrepancy between the top and the bottom of the list.

In the research, Thorp Alberga and AO Hall take the joint accolade for being the most female-friendly firms of the bunch, with a very healthy 50% of their partners being female (although both are relatively small firms, so the percentages have to be viewed in that context).  Meanwhile, the bottom 7 firms fail to rustle up a single female partner between them, which should at the very least raise some questions about why they have failed to identify or attract a single suitable candidate for partnership.

The table below summarises the position, but perhaps flatters some firms as the partner % includes both equity and salaried partners.  Although many firms refuse to give information on the equity partnership it is notable that of those that did, only 3 of Bedell's 18 female partners are equity partners, and only 1 of Maples' 14 female partners shares equity - perhaps a touch of window-dressing?

Doubtless many of the firms who fare badly on this list will complain that the lack of female partners is down to the fact that too many females drop out of the profession to raise families.  Whilst there must of course be some truth in that, it certainly does not explain the whole picture.  There are many very able female lawyers who do choose to continue with their careers, either instead of having a family, or who resume careers after a short break, but they still seem to be struggling to break through the glass ceiling in many cases.  Firms like Thorp Alberga and AO Hall may be small, but they should be applauded for showing some of the others that a thriving business and a healthy percentage of female partners can go hand in hand. 

Firm		HQ	% Female partners
Thorp Alberga		Cayman	50
AO Hall		Guernsey	50
O'Neale Webster		BVI	40
Marshall Diel & Myers		Bermuda	37.5
Solomon Harris		Cayman	33.3
Walkers		Cayman	29.8
Appleby		Bermuda	28
Harneys		BVI	26.9
AFR Advocates		Guernsey	25
Charles Adams		Cayman	25
Maples		Cayman	22.22
Conyers		Bermuda	21.2
Hassans		Gibraltar	20
Wakefield Quinn		Bermuda	16.7
Isolas		Gibraltar	14.2
Simcocks		IOM	14.2
Mourant Ozannes		Jersey	13.2
Collas Crill		Jersey	12.5
Mello Jones & Martin		Bermuda	12.5
Ogier		Jersey	11.9
Bedell		Jersey	10.3
Carey Olsen		Jersey	7.9
Cains		IOM	0
Triay & Triay		Gibraltar	0
Babbe		Guernsey	0
Campbell		Cayman	0
Cox Hallett Wilkinson		Bermuda	0
Doughty Quinn		IOM	0
Voisin		Jersey	0