Stokes Lawrence Certified as a Women's Business Enterprise

Dec 17, 2020   Print PDF

Stokes Lawrence is proud to announce its certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women's Business Enterprise Council - Pacific, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), one of the primary organizations in the U.S. that certifies businesses owned and operated by women.

WBE seal

To receive certification, businesses must undergo a meticulous and in-depth review of the firm. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by women. Fifty-six percent of Stokes Lawrence owners are women.

“We are excited to receive this certification. We are proud of our gender diversity and continue to strive to increase diverse representation in all areas of our firm. We believe having a diverse workforce makes us a stronger firm and helps us develop innovative solutions to help our clients,” said Managing Shareholder Kelly Twiss Noonan. “We are proud to be part of the WBENC network, and to join other businesses committed to diversity.”

Stokes Lawrence is one of the largest firms in the country to be majority women-owned. Legal industry publication Law360 ranked the firm fourth nationally for firms with 51-100 lawyers on its “Ceiling Smashers” list, which recognizes the top 10 firms outpacing their peers in the female partnership ranks.

“Statistics show that women lawyers frequently encounter barriers to advancement in their careers at law firms. That is not the case at Stokes Lawrence,” noted Kelly.