NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that Laura M. Barzilai, a partner in the firm’s New York office, is a recipient of a 2012 PAR Flex Success Award given by the Project for Attorney Retention (PAR), a national organization dedicated to advancing women lawyers and improving work-life balance for all lawyers. The Award, which is given in recognition of a successful reduced hours arrangement, honors lawyer-client pairs and also recognizes Ms. Barzilai’s client, Christine Griff, Director, Domestic Tax Counsel of PepsiCo.
“The flexible time arrangement is invaluable to Laura’s clients and colleagues, as it has enabled her to continue her successful practice while maintaining her commitment to her family and children,” said Michael J. Schmidtberger, Managing Partner of the New York office and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. “I have worked alongside Laura on numerous matters, and she is an extraordinary tax lawyer with the keen business sense that makes her a leader in our firm. I am thrilled to congratulate her on this Award on behalf of the firm.”
Ms. Barzilai is a global coordinator of Sidley’s tax controversy practice and is co-head of the firm’s tax practice in New York. Ms. Barzilai focuses on federal income tax matters, representing Fortune 500 companies, public and privately held non-U.S. companies, insurance companies and investment funds. She worked an 80% schedule from the time her first child was born in 1991. This January, she moved to a 90% schedule, in which she still works two days a week at home. Ms. Barzilai is also the New York Chair of Sidley’s Committee on Retention and Promotion of Women.
“It is rewarding to have a client like PepsiCo and to work with Christine, who understands the mutual benefits of my flexible time arrangement,” said Ms. Barzilai. “I am also lucky to work for a firm that values alternative work arrangements and has been supportive of the policy for twenty-five years.”
Sidley has a long-standing commitment to recruiting, retaining and promoting women lawyers. Many women lawyers have taken advantage of the firmwide reduced hours policy, which enables lawyers, at both the associate and partner levels, to work a flexible schedule. Women hold key management positions within the firm and a number of women lawyers serve as advisors, board members and officers for professional, volunteer and community organizations. Sidley won the Most Innovative Gender Diversity Initiative Award at the first Chambers USA Women in Law Awards in 2012. Sidley has also been named by the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) and Flex-Time Lawyers as a 2011 Best Law Firm for Women. Sidley also received this honor in 2009, 2008 and 2007. Additionally, in 2005, Sidley received the Catalyst Award, given by Catalyst, the leading research and advisory organization dedicated to expanding opportunities for women and business.
Sidley Austin LLP is one of the world’s premier full-service law firms, with approximately 1700 lawyers practicing in 18 U.S. and international cities, including Beijing, Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. This year, Sidley celebrates 30 years in Asia. Repeating its performance in the inaugural 2010 survey, Sidley received the most first-tier national rankings of any U.S. law firm in the 2011/12 U.S.News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” survey. Sidley was also named the U.S.News – Best Lawyers “Law Firm of the Year” in both Corporate Law and Securities Regulation in the 2011/12 survey (the first year of such designations). BTI, a Boston-based research and consulting firm, has named Sidley as one of only three firms to have been in the top ten of the BTI Client Service rankings every year since the inception of those rankings in 2001, and as number one in three of those years.
For purposes of the New York State Bar rules, this press release may be considered Attorney Advertising and the headquarters of the firm are Sidley Austin LLP 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, 212.839.5300 and Sidley Austin LLP One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, 312.853.7000. Prior results described herein do not guarantee a similar outcome.