The initiative has been introduced as part of a suite of new LGBT+ initiatives introduced at the firm, and is designed to better support the needs of same-sex parents and men wishing to take paternity leave. The new policy will allot 16 weeks paid parental leave and 24 weeks’ total leave to primary caregivers upon the birth or adoption of a child. ‘Non-primary’ caregivers will be able to access eight weeks paid leave and 12 weeks’ total leave. Additionally, the firm has offered to reimburse up to $5,000 towards the cost of adoptions for parents who choose to adopt. The new policies apply to all employees at the firm, not just lawyers. ‘We’re seeing families who are much better at sharing the responsibilities of raising children, and we’re seeing changes in the makeup of the family, and we wanted to be responsive to that,’ commented Lowenstein Sandler managing partner Gary Wingens.

Source: Bloomberg BigLaw Business