National Women’s Small Business Month takes place each year during the month of October. This is a time to recognize the myriad achievements of our country’s female entrepreneurs and the positive impact they are making on jobs and the economy.
The United States boasts over 12.3 million women-owned businesses, creating $1.8 trillion a year for the economy. These businesses are not only surviving; they are prospering in the face of a global pandemic and limited external funding. According to a recent survey, 77% of women-led companies feel confident they will continue to grow, and in fact, many are looking at expansion. To say that women-owned businesses are resilient is an understatement.
In honor of National Women’s Small Business Month, our female partners to shared their insights regarding the success and support they found in this thriving community of business owners. Each of these Partners gives back to the firm, their communities, and their colleagues in meaningful ways.
“While every business has its challenges, I found that law is a profession where women have unlimited opportunities for growth, expression and entrepreneurship. It is oftentimes the case that women represent a majority or even all the seats at a deal table or in a courtroom. Increasingly, networking, business development and continuing education opportunities cater to female-centric experiences and ideas. It is truly a great time to be a woman in the practice.â€
“The law is an amazing place to build a career. It’s also been a place of tremendous change that I have gotten to enjoy and witness myself in the last 21 years of practice. When I joined TLD Law as a law clerk in my second year in law school, there was only one woman partner. Now I am one of 5 women partners in a woman owned law firm. Each are special and masters in their practice areas. They are smart, beautiful, successful women attorneys and I am so proud to be in their company and to work with them doing the amazing work that we do for clients.”
“I was fortunate to have been raised with multiple women-attorney role models, including both my own mother and sister, as well as the female attorneys who preceded me at TLD. I have therefore always felt supported in my practice and confident in demanding equal respect from judges and other counsel. Being a female business owner has challenges separate from the practice of law. Unfortunately, I find that certain leadership qualities are still not considered “feminine” by some and female voices are at times not heard at an equal level. As women are increasingly represented at the top levels of business and as their own business owners, those old, pre-conceived notions are seen less and less. I am very proud that TLD, as a majority woman owned business, is part of that change.”
“I have found that working as an attorney in a primarily male-dominated practice area (mergers and acquisition and business counsel) to be extremely rewarding. My clients have always treated me with the same level of respect as my male counterparts, as have my partners and associates. Every once in a while I will run into opposing counsel that isn’t as respectful, but that is few and far between.
I love being a female in this field because I have had so many successful women and men that have rooted for me and encouraged me to succeed. I have found satisfaction in working with female business owners, female certified public accountants, and female referral sources. I would say my BEST referral sources have been other females that work with me.
I have definitely been through the ringer to get to where I am today in my life – I left a thriving banking career to go to law school, endured challenges to have children, dealt with the emotional impact and guilt of returning to work after having children, and making time for family, friends, business obligations and networking. But I am hopeful that while these challenges will continue for those coming up after me, women feel emboldened to take the risks and make the decision to further their career knowing that others, like me, did it and enjoy it.”
“I am glad the times are changing to allow for both men and women to be equal in the workplace. Our firm clients are generally pleased to see that we have female partners and are largely female owned. They are proud of us and we are too. The legal system has come a long way and women are now seen as equals in the courtroom, before a jury, with our peers and also with clients.”
As a certified woman-owned business through WBENC, TLD Law celebrates women business owners as well as the progress of female entrepreneurs! We are honored to have a fantastic team of women in our thriving, diverse business.
