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Equity Project 101

The Equity Project is an award-winning initiative designed to help close the gender gap in law by providing an economic incentive for change.

Through a $50 million pool of capital earmarked for financing commercial litigation and arbitration matters led by women, The Equity Project aims to give more women in law more opportunities for leadership that will advance their careers and level the playing field.

Burford has created a comprehensive guide to help women lawyers and their law firms understand how The Equity Project can help.

Download the guide

Equity Project 101 highlights include: 

  • How The Equity Project works
    An explanation of what The Equity Project is, how it works and how women lawyers (and law firms and clients that are committed to promoting diversity) can leverage the capital pool.

  • Key takeaways from the 2020 Equity Project Study
    Highlights from the 2020 Equity Project Study: General Counsel and the gender gap in law, a report based on 77 interviews with general counsel and other senior in-house lawyers.

  • The effects of origination credit on gender diversity at firms
    A deep dive into why women lawyers are historically at a disadvantage when it comes to origination credit. 

  • Business development advice for women lawyers
    Tips and tricks for women lawyers on developing a book of business and client relationship building.

  • How the capital works in practice
    A real-life case study demonstrating how The Equity Project has already helped women lawyers.
67% 

of senior women report that they have experienced a lack of access to business development opportunities due to gender

"Contributing to the persistent pay gap at the partner level is the fact that women partners only receive 80% of the origination credit given to men."
≤20%

of equity partners at large firms are women

“Diversity and mentoring programs play a part in closing the gender gap, but to change the outcomes more quickly, we need to change the economics.”
$50M

pool of capital earmarked for financing commercial litigation and arbitration matters led by women.

"Equity Project capital allowed our firm to compete in a playing field that was very inequitable because it was primarily led by established firms mainly run by men, with the capital to aggressively pursue new business."