May 2, 2008 6:23 PM

Sullivan & Cromwell Ranks High in Adoption Policies

Posted by Vivia Chen

The economy is nose-diving and the deal flow is a trickle. Yet, this might be a good time to start a family on your firm's dime. Certainly, family leave policies at big law firms have never been so generous: Ever since Sullivan & Cromwell rolled out 18 weeks of paid maternity leave last July, firms have been tripping over themselves to join that band wagon.

But in reading the fine print, you'll notice that a handful have gone a step further: They are extending the same paid leave to lawyers who adopt children. In fact, S&C along with Alston & Bird and Arnold & Porter this week were singled out by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption as workplaces with the best adoption policies. (Thomas was the founder of Wendy's, and, as an adoptee, an advocate for the rights of adoptive parents and children.) Despite its  hard-driving reputation, S&C ranked first in the consulting, legal, and business category; Alston & Bird was second, and Arnold & Porter ranked fifth. In addition to the four-and-half-months of paid leave for all new parents, S&C offers lawyers a tidy $7,500 to defray adoption expenses. Alston & Bird and Arnold & Porter each provide 12 weeks of paid leave and $7,000 and $5,000 allowance, respectively.

Those perks are well above the standard in all industry segments, says Rita Soronen, executive director of the Dave Thomas Foundation: "The average financial reimbursement is $5,000, and five weeks is the average number of paid leave for adoption." The foundation's annual report collects data from 919 U.S. employers. The final ranking is based on financial reimbursement and paid leave for adoption.

Offering adoptive parents the same benefits as biological parents is a big step forward, given that historically adoptive parents received limited, if any, paid leave. The stipends are meaningful, says Morrison & Forester partner Suzanne Graeser, "[especially] for single parents or primary breadwinners." Graeser, who adopted a daughter from Kazakhstan almost a year ago, says MoFo now offers new parents (biological and adoptive) 18 weeks of paid leave.

Most law firms, however, do not provide financial assistance for adoptions. Even those with generous maternity leave still treat adoptive parents as second-class citizens. At Davis Polk & Wardwell, for instance, adoptive parents receive only six weeks of leave compared to 18 months for biological mothers, according to a December 2007 management committee memo.

All this puts S&C--whose reputation does not suggest a warm and nurturing environment--ahead of the curve. Partner Audra Cohen, cochair of S&C's women's initiative, says it's always been this way. Even in the nineties, S&C offered financial assistance for adoptions, she notes. "And since 2003, adoption has been on par with birth. Over the years, we've had a number of lawyers that went through the adoption process, and we realize its costly and time-consuming." Moreover, Cohen adds, the reality today is that more lawyers will become parents through adoption: "People are older; they are single; or they can't have [biological] children."

Make a comment

Comments (0)
Save & Share: Facebook | Del.ic.ious | | Email |

Reprints & Permissions

Post a comment

If you have a TypeKey or TypePad account, please Sign In

You are currently signed in as (nobody). Sign Out

Name:

Email Address:(Not displayed with comment.)

URL:

Remember personal info?

Comments: