Best Lawyers Business Edition Features Article By Kelly Noonan

Stokes Lawrence Managing Shareholder Kelly Twiss Noonan is a contributing author in the Spring 2020 issue of the Best Lawyers Business Edition. The article, which appears on page 101, discusses the importance of gender diversity in the legal profession. In January, Stokes Lawrence became a majority women-owned firm, which is still uncommon in the legal profession. Fifty percent of law school students are women, yet at many firms, women comprise less than 25% of senior leadership positions.

“We believe our focus on diversity allows us to make better decisions and provide better service to our clients,” Kelly noted in the article. She added that the firm focuses on hiring outstanding lawyers who share its core values. As the firm has grown, the number of female lawyers has grown organically, with many serving in leadership position. “Success begets success: it is undisputed that women have opportunities to advance at Stokes Lawrence, and this naturally attracts female candidates.

“The world we live in is different than it was a few months ago. But the issues that mattered then, including gender diversity, still matter.”