The number of law firm partners who identify as women has more than doubled since 1993. Will these gender parity advances regress as employers curb diversity efforts? To answer that question, we look at the organizational dynamics that affect women’s opportunities and outcomes through the lens of newsworthy deal teams. These teams, averaging five lawyers, are at the power center of law firms. Our analysis of over 10,000 deals and more than 50,000 attorneys for the period 2013-2023 reveal evidence that women’s gains may be sustainable without continued DEI interventions. While women are less likely to be at the top of a team and more likely to be on smaller transactions and cases, they are slowly advancing up the team ladder and gaining power. Over the past decade, the representation of women on leadership teams has grown 50%. Women are taking more seats at the deal table, increasing from one out of five spots to nearly one out of three. Women have not yet achieved parity in law firms but are on a positive trajectory in contrast to the early evidence for attorneys who are racial and ethnic minorities. Making the team—the “power five”—reveals existing power structures while also suggesting future authority and control.
Academic and market interest in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing has grown markedly in recent years. Although less prominent, a...
As our nation emerges from the shadow of COVID-19, the general public is coming to grips with a stark reality looming over our public schools...
Anyone who studies trade secret law in depth knows that the field is complex and nuanced. That complexity can be intimidating to novices. Accordingly...
Anyone who studies patent law in depth knows that the field is complex and nuanced. That complexity can be intimidating to novices. Accordingly, the...
There have been many many, many proposals to use Russia’s frozen assets to help Ukraine. Russia’s invasion violated international law; reparations are...
After several years of dramatic growth, ESG investing seems to have entered a period of retrenchment. While it is impossible to predict the future...
Lenders are perfectly free to decide for themselves whether, when, how, to whom and on what terms they will extend credit to a sovereign borrower. But...
Although ethical critiques of markets are longstanding, modern academic debates about the “moral limits of markets” (MLM) tend to be fairly limited in...
Consequential damages have been a cornerstone of contract doctrine since the broken crankshaft in Hadley v. Baxendale. And the Hadley rule is one of...
The number of law firm partners who identify as women has more than doubled since 1993. Will these gender parity advances regress as employers curb...
Contract terms that improve or reduce the likelihood of repayment of a debt should impact its price. That’s basic economics. But what about a contract...
Engaging New Cases: The book uses fresh, timely cases in agency and partnership to show how business law is relevant in a variety of practices...
Over the past quarter century, Congress has enacted several major reforms for retirement plans and individual retirement accounts, usually with large...
We examine the legal terms in the market for green bonds, debt instruments in which proceeds are earmarked, directly or indirectly, for projects with...
This law school casebook provides a detailed examination of secured transactions in personal property in both the commercial and consumer context. The...
Modern antitrust law has come under intense criticism in recent years, with a bipartisan chorus of complaints about the power of technology and...
Contract law has one overarching goal: to advance the legitimate interests of the contracting parties. For the most part, scholars, judges, and...