this is about being the best lawyer you can be, not just the best woman lawyer.
When we look at the women at TC, we see leaders, trailblazers, influencers, authorities and chiefs. And because they are part of Thompson Coburn, they also become collaborators, innovators, groundbreakers and pathfinders. Our clients and communities rely on our women to solve problems and make things happen.
Believing we never celebrate successes and progress enough, we seek ways to revel in and broadcast the unique strengths, abilities and contributions that our women make to our firm, clients, industry and world. From hands-on mentoring, business development coaching and skills training, and relationship management to ensuring that our project and engagement staffing aligns with clients’ needs and our values – we will help you any way we can. And we won’t make promises that we can’t or won’t keep.
People group 1
TC women leaders
We couldn’t be more excited to introduce our large team of women leaders. They actively invest in making our firm a better – and more fun – place to work.
Women’s Initiative Steering Committee
This group assists our women attorneys in meeting their full potential, increasing their visibility and reputation as lawyers. This includes allocating the right firm resources to make that happen.
- Margaret E. McNaul, Co-Chair
- Sara F. Melly, Co-Chair
- Ariele Strauss Clinton
- Georgia Loukas Demeros
- Sarah Gilbert
- Jesse Halpern
- Ruthanne C. Hammett
- Amanda J. Hettinger
- Norma J. Jackson
- Laura M. Jordan
- Fatima G. Khan
- Michele C. Kloeppel
- Susan M. Lorenc
- Sara F. Melly
- Gayle L. Mercier
- Emily L. Peel
- Jennifer A. Post
- Kacey R. Riccomini
- Jeanne Siegel
- Mackenzie S. Wallace
Management Committee
- Eileen P. Brown
- Adrienne E. Clair
- Evan R. Goldfarb
- Laura M. Jordan
- Michele C. Kloeppel
- Jennifer A. Post
- Nicole L. Williams
Local Office Partners-In-Charge
- Chicago – Katriina S. McGuire
- Dallas – Nicole L. Williams
- Los Angeles – Jennifer A. Post
- Washington, D.C. – Eileen P. Brown
Department Heads
- Corporate
- Evan R. Goldfarb, Co-Chair
- Litigation
- Laura M. Jordan, Co-Chair
Associates Committee
- Cherie Stephens Bock, Co-Chair
Associate Mentoring Joint Sub-Committee
- Emily L. Peel, Chair
Associate Review Committee
- Corporate
- Michele C. Kloeppel, Co-Chair
- Sara F. Melly, Co-Chair
Contributions Committee
- Jacqueline A. Dimmitt, Chair
Diversity Committee
- Amanda J. Hettinger, Co-Chair
Employment Committee
- Sarah A. Wade, Vice Chair
Partner Compensation Committee
- Evan R. Goldfarb, Chair
Women’s Initiative Business Development Committee
- Susan M. Lorenc, Co-Chair
- Mackenzie S. Wallace, Co-Chair
women’s leadership academy (wla)
Thompson Coburn selects a cohort of women partners every 18 to 24 months to hone their leadership skills through intensive training by an expert coach. This includes growing their practice and influencing the firm and community through professional leadership opportunities.
The WLA program covers topics such as strategy and alignment in professional service firms, personal branding and self-advocacy. Members of our cohorts work on projects with Management Committee and C-Suite mentors to explore areas important to the strategic growth of the Firm.
Our 2023-24 cohort included:
- Justine Block, New York
- Ariele Strauss Clinton, New York
- Katherine Colvin, St. Louis
- Janine Figueiredo, New York
- Susan Fisher, Dallas
- Sarah Gilbert, New York
- Nicole Jobe, St. Louis
- Fatima Khan, St. Louis
- Sarah Larson, St. Louis
- Genevieve LeFevour, Chicago
- Sonette Magnus, St. Louis
- Kacey Riccomini, Los Angeles
- Diona Rogers, Chicago
- Jayna Rust, Washington, D.C.
- Kristen Sanocki, St. Louis
- Shannon Sheehan, Chicago
at the movies: “An Army of Women”
In 2022, Thompson Coburn partners Elizabeth Myers and Jennifer Ecklund celebrated the historic settlement for the 15 sexual assault survivors they represented in a federal lawsuit. “An Army of Women,” by Norwegian filmmaker Julie Lunde Lillesaeter, tells the story of these 15 women who brought class-action lawsuits against the Travis County District Attorney’s Office and the Austin Police Department, alleging that police and prosecutors failed to adequately investigate or prosecute their reports of sexual assault.
The lawsuit sparked sweeping changes for the city of Austin, Texas, and paved the way for survivors to fight for meaningful new policies and procedures.
Elizabeth and Jenny had their close-ups with an even wider audience through a documentary film that premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival on March 8, 2024. The SXSW premiere coincided with International Women’s Day.
Click here to read the news article.
spotlights/highlights
Thompson Coburn Released 2023 Diversity & Inclusion Report
Thompson Coburn Achieves Mansfield Rule 7.0 “Certified Plus” Designation
Thompson Coburn Named a 2024 ‘Ceiling Smasher’ for Women Partners
Caira Butler and Cicely Williams Named 2024 Eagleton Scholarship Recipients
Thompson Coburn Named to Bloomberg Law’s Fourth Annual DEI Framework
Norma Jackson Discusses Firm Affinity Groups and DEI Efforts
Eileen Brown Highlights Value of Teamwork in ‘How I Became Office Managing Partner’ Q&A
Jennifer Post Honored as 2024 Top Woman Lawyer
Fatima Khan and Bob Wallace Named as Diversity & Inclusion Honorees
Nicole Williams Shares Firm’s Success in 2023, Litigation Trends, and More in Q&A
Adrienne Clair Receives EBA Diversity & Inclusion Champion Award
Class of 16 Partners Completes Women’s Leadership Academy
Ruthanne Hammett Named as Leading Woman in Secured Finance
Jessica Wang, Evelyn Clark Join Top Legal Diversity Programs
Katriina McGuire Named Notable Woman in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business
Michele Kloeppel Recognized in 2024 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A