ECIJA has been awarded by the Madrid Bar Association with the “Certification of Good Practices in Equality between men and women in the practice of Law”. The Firm positions itself as one of the main leaders in diversity management by using a unique and innovative vision in the legal sector.
On Wednesday October 23rd, the Commission for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion of the Madrid Bar Association (ICAM in Spanish) has recognized the effective commitment developed by ECIJA, a full-service firm pioneer in TMT, in regard to gender equality. This is the first time that the Bar awards this distinction, where ECIJA stands out as the first Iberian law firm to earn the certification, along with DLA Piper and Siemens’ Legal Department.
During the presentation, held at the VII Summit of Women Lawyers, ECIJA’s Global Diversity Program was highlighted, which is made up of multiple initiatives aimed at ensuring the inclusion of all professionals. Among these, the Conciliation and Equality Committee stands out, which seeks to analyze proposals and actions in this field.
Alejandra Riquelme, Chief Happiness Officer, explained that many of these initiatives are totally new in the legal landscape and only posible thanks to the innovative DNA of the Firm. “ECIJA has a 100% inclusive culture, focused on talent and merit, beyond any personal characteristic. We promote diversity because we believe that diversity is enriching. This culture is what allows us to continue advancing towards a diverse society,” said Riquelme. In this regard, the Firm positions itself as a leader in diversity management by employing a unique and innovative vision in the legal sector.
Furthermore, the Bar has valued gender balance taking into account global and local levels. “We have a total of 484 employees distributed in 12 offices and in all of them the number of women is greater than the number of men. Globally, we have 262 women and 222 men. ECIJA is proud to have a majority (54%) of women in our global headcount,” said María González, partner in the TMT Area. In the Spanish market, it has been emphasized that in all offices in Madrid, where they have three headquarters, the total number of women is greater than men.
Regarding the analysis by professional categories, it has been highlighted that the Firm also has a majority of women: 50% of Trainees, 55% of Associates and 60% of Senior Associates. However, Alejandra Riquelme has indicated that the Firm continues to bet on increasing the current quotas in gender equality. To this end, she has launched a set of initiatives for 2020 that aims to achieve, thanks to all established policies, a greater presence of women in positions of more responsibility within the Firm.
This news was first published by the Spanih newspaper Cinco Días.