Partner Donna Parisi, Global Head of Finance and Derivatives & Structured Products Team Leader, was honored on June 21 at the Chambers Women in Law USA Awards 2018 with the “Inspiring Role Model in Promoting Gender Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession” award. The Chambers Women in Law Awards recognize those pioneers who have furthered the advancement of women within the legal sphere. 

At the awards ceremony at The Yale Club of New York City, Chambers recognized Donna for playing a leading role in Shearman & Sterling’s global Women Partners Initiative to provide opportunities for professional development, build strong relationships internally and with the wider legal and business communities. This includes:

• her initiation of our Ellevate membership, a global women’s network led by Wall Street veteran Sallie Krawcheck, making Shearman & Sterling one of the first law firms to sign up; 

• facilitating the firm’s involvement with The Glass Hammer, an innovative online community dedicated to the advancement of women executives, of which Shearman & Sterling is a founding member; and

• supporting our annual participation in WOMN LLC, a 12-month mentoring program where women senior associates and counsel receive personalized mentoring and training to learn and practice the skills needed to become equity partners, successful rainmakers and contributing members of firm management.

Donna was also recognized for her longstanding commitment to girls’ education. She orchestrated a first-of-its-kind global, four-city screening of the film Girl Rising, the ground-breaking film from Academy Award-nominated director Richard E. Robbins that chronicles the challenges faced by girls in developing countries in receiving an education. Most recently, Donna collaborated with WISER, the firm’s associate-run women-focused inclusion network, to host an event on the power of women in New York history and the suffrage movement, which featured a private viewing and tour of three illuminating exhibits at the Museum of the City of New York.

“It is great to receive this acknowledgement for all the work we do to promote gender diversity and inclusion in the industry – thank you, Chambers! Having a diverse and inclusive workplace is essential in contributing to the success of our business,” Donna remarked.