Study finds women struggle to reach top ranks at German law firms

Men continue to dominate the top positions in Germany’s leading law firms, with women accounting for just 16% of partners as of early April, according to a new report by the Allbright Foundation released on Tuesday.

The Swedish-German non-profit analysed the 20 highest-grossing law firms in Germany. It found that the representation of women on DAX company executive boards stands at 26%, despite similarly demanding workloads.

The Allbright Foundation advocates for greater gender diversity in leadership roles.

In law firms, a partner is a co-owner responsible for both legal work and firm management. Large firms are known for their high expectations, lucrative salaries and extremely long hours.

"The typical law firm partner is male, named Christian, German without a migration background, holds a doctorate, and is always available," the foundation stated.

The report criticizes the prevailing culture in major law firms, stating: "It is not the most competent individuals who rise to the top, but those who conform to the male-dominated ideals of what a partner should be."

The foundation, based in Berlin and Stockholm, is urging large law firms to actively promote female lawyers and make meaningful progress toward gender parity.

It recommends that firms begin setting concrete gender targets for partnerships and publicly commit to them as a strong signal both internally and externally.

The study highlights a clear gender drop-off along the career ladder. While women make up 47% of associates — the entry-level legal position - this drops to 37% among salary partners and counsels.

At the equity partner level, the proportion of women falls sharply, a pattern the report describes as evidence of a persistent "glass ceiling."