GREENVILLE, S.C. – November 7, 2016 – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to be named the ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award® recipient for 2016. The Greenville Chamber of Commerce presents this award to businesses and organizations that support, develop, and honor women leaders and inspire women to achieve their full potential. Ogletree Deakins received this honor for the implementation of the Ogletree Deakins Women’s Initiative (ODWIN), which supports the firm’s female attorneys in four key areas: talent development, alumnae relations, flexibility/awareness, and business development/client relations.
“We are honored to receive this award for our efforts to promote women lawyers and strengthen their leadership presence within our firm through transformative, gender-specific initiatives,” said Ashley Cuttino, chair of ODWIN and a shareholder in the firm’s Greenville office. “I am so fortunate to work alongside my colleagues and in a firm that places such a high value in diversifying the legal industry.”
ODWIN offers programing and initiatives to support the development and advancement of Ogletree Deakins’ women attorneys in leadership opportunities, mentorships, business development strategies, and identifying educational resources. The integrated approach prompts professional growth and empowers the firm’s women attorneys to develop commercially viable skills that lead to success for themselves and the firm’s clients. ODWIN strives to give female attorneys power, access, and equity in order to increase the number of women in leadership roles at the firm. From 2010 to 2016, 56 percent of Ogletree Deakins attorneys promoted to shareholder have been women.
“By embracing diversity within our firm and creating programs to enhance leadership and business skills, our attorneys are more equipped to implement the tenets of our Client Pledge into their individual practices,” said Michelle Wimes, Ogletree Deakins’ director of professional development and inclusion. “With a diverse range of attorneys, we are able to tackle issues in the workplace through the myriad viewpoints of our lawyers, thus providing a higher quality of service for our clients.”
Established in 2010, the ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award honors organizations and businesses for their efforts to support and promote women in the workplace. Award recipients are chosen based on initiatives that create an organizational culture that encourages female employees to achieve their full leadership potential and give back to the larger community of women and girls by providing and/or supporting leadership development opportunities and initiatives. The ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award is presented each year by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce.
About Ogletree Deakins
Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. Premier client service, as outlined in the firm’s Client Pledge, is one of the firm’s top priorities and a cornerstone of its core values. U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for five consecutive years. In 2016, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Employment Law – Management category. Ogletree Deakins has more than 750 attorneys located in 49 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies.
About ATHENA® International
Founded in 1982 by Martha Mayhood Mertz, ATHENA® International is a non-profit organization that seeks to support, develop and honor women leaders through programs that we administer in partnership with ‘host organizations’ from local communities. These programs inspire women to reach their full potential and strive to create balance in leadership worldwide.