The bottom line benefits of gender diversity

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

The bottom line benefits of gender diversity

There are lots of valid debates about the benefits of diverse workplaces. Should businesses do more to retain their female staff because they bring different talents to the workplace, for example? Or do men and women have the same skill sets, rendering policies that make it harder for women to progress at work unfair for women and an own goal for businesses looking to expand their talent pool?

Those kinds of debates might seem academic, but news this week of threatened shareholder revolts against companies with few women in their boards show just how important it is for businesses to think carefully about their diversity strategies.

Lawyers in private practice ­– particularly those in the US – will know that it is not just companies who are under scrutiny in this area. Clients are increasingly asking to see figures from law firms that reveal how many women and minorities have become senior associates and been promoted to partnership.

But what can businesses and law firms do to ensure they retain their female legal talent and keep the talent pipeline flowing? Women IP professionals will have the opportunity to share best practices they can take back to their firms at an event in New York next week, as well as hear about the latest IP developments around the word.

Managing IP’s International Women’s Leadership Forum is a one-day event designed to bring together senior and junior women IP practitioners to network and strengthen their professional relationships. Entry to the Forum is free for in-house counsel, R&D professionals and academics and registration includes membership of Managing IP’s new Women’s Network (for more information on that, contact my colleague Vicki Taylor at vtaylor@euromoneyplc.com). I look forward to seeing some of you there.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

In the third episode of a podcast series celebrating the tenth anniversary of IP Inclusive, we discuss the ‘Women in IP’ network and the current state of diversity within the profession
Practitioners, including two ex USPTO directors, say the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act could restore clarity and predictability to US patent law, though concerns remain
News of an alliance between two Malaysian law firms and the launch of a self-help video aimed at supporting IP professionals through menopause were also among the top talking points
Speakers at the EUIPO’s IP Mediation Conference discussed how lawyers can act in tandem with clients during mediation, and the importance of showing a united front
A report that revealed top legal LinkedIn influencers are generating hundreds of thousands in advertising value is the push lawyers need to up their social media presence
Speakers at the EUIPO’s Mediation Conference say mediation can offer a ‘cathartic’ and effective alternative to litigation that IP owners should consider
Partner Scott Sudderth says he is looking forward to building strong client relationships and expanding the firm’s patent practice
Find out which firms secured the most nominations for Managing IP’s Asia-Pacific Awards 2025, ahead of the winners being revealed on November 6
Raluca Vasilescu joins our ‘Five minutes with’ series to discuss patent mining and watercolour painting
Jan Phillip Rektorschek, founding partner at Pentarc in Germany, explains why the firm broke away from Taylor Wessing and discusses its plans for staying competitive
Gift this article