Hartford Business Journal

17 Hartford Business Journal | April 5, 2021 | HartfordBusiness.com FOCUS: Diversity By Sean Teehan steehan@hartfordbusiness.com W hen Rhonda Tobin first joined Hartford law firm Robinson+Cole as an associate in 1990 the firm had a few women partners, something that wasn't typical in the industry at the time. That signaled it was a place where she could move up the ranks, she said. "I could see that I could be successful at the firm because there were already women litigators there who had been promoted to partner," Tobin said. Thirty years later, Tobin was recently named Robinson+Cole's first woman managing partner, overseeing the firm's business operations and essentially acting as its CEO. And she's joining a growing roster of women who are leading Greater Hartford law firms. In fact, about a third of the 15 largest law firms in Greater Hartford are led by women serving as either office managing partners or firmwide managing partners, according to Hartford Business Journal's Book of Lists. The rise of female managing partners locally mirrors a national trend as women continue to climb the ranks of the U.S. legal industry. In 2012 only 4% of U.S. law firms had women serving as firmwide managing partners, but that number grew to 19% last year, according to the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL). Meantime, 28% of law firms reported women serving as office managing partners in 2020, according to NAWL. While there is still a long way to go before women reach parity with men in senior leadership positions — both in the legal industry and corporate America in general — local attorneys say the increase in female managing partners is largely due to intentional efforts to mentor and promote women at law firms. "It is really a joy to see so many strong leaders, smart women who are leading firms," said Leander Dolphin, one of three co-managing partners at Hartford-based Shipman & Goodwin, the region's largest law firm. "There is, I think, something important happening." Mentorship key The responsibilities of a managing partner vary from firm to firm, but generally the position is in charge of running the business side of things. Managing partners typically head up the firm's strategic vision, its business concerns and day-to-day operations. Some managing partners also handle clients and cases while serving, but for many the management duties are full time. Dolphin first joined Shipman her first year out of law school in 2004, and returned to the firm after a two-year stint at the Girl Scouts of Connecticut. She became part of Shipman's new three-pronged managing partner setup earlier this year, after Alan Lieberman retired as managing partner. Dolphin still practices, representing K-12 schools as well as higher- education institutions in cases; but now that's in addition to overseeing some 400 employees and partners. Increasing representation of women at Hartford firms could partially be diversity and inclusion initiatives coming to fruition, said Dolphin, who previously served as Shipman's diversity and inclusion chair. Another part of it is a customer service matter. "I think that our clients for a number of years have been saying to us and others that they want more representation and diversity," Dolphin said. "Having different perspectives — having a woman's perspective, having a person of color's perspective — that leads to better decisions." As a co-managing partner, Dolphin said she wants to help continue the trend of more female lawyers serving in leadership positions. To her that means recruiting more women, and then continuing efforts to mentor and promote them. Mentorship has been important to Dolphin's career, she said, and she counts as mentors other women managing partners in Hartford, like Moy Ogilvie of McCarter & English. Ogilvie became managing partner for McCarter's Hartford office four years ago, but the first woman to serve in that position came more than a decade earlier in 2003. Part of the reason there is more diversity in leadership positions is because there is an increasing number of women in law schools, Ogilvie said. Diversifying Leadership Despite lack of parity, more Greater Hartford law firms are being led by women Firmwide managing partner Office managing partner 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Women in law firm leadership roles Women Men Source: National Association of Women Lawyers survey While an increasing percentage of women are in leadership roles at U.S. law firms there is still a long way to go before parity is reached. This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in office managing partner and firmwide managing partner roles. Moy Ogilvie Rhonda Tobin Shipman & Goodwin co-Managing Partner Leander Dolphin is among a growing number of women taking leadership positions at Hartford area law firms. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER

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