D&I Highlights from Chambers Brazil: Contentious 2022

*This article has been updated with reviewed data on the categories Band 1 and Star Individuals, Up and Coming and Associate to Watch, as well as some practice areas. 

Our research is always evolving according to sector developments and client needs, providing increasingly in-depth coverage of key practice areas in a growing market. This development also follows a rising focus on diversity and inclusion by both law firms and clients. Most firms are strengthening their commitment to inclusion and expanding their diversity initiatives. At the same time, clients also drive change through internal measures and increasingly expect to see more diversity in the firms they hire. 

We continue with the positive action implemented across research teams at Chambers, making the effort to achieve gender balance in the interviews we conduct during the research to mitigate the effects of unconscious bias. We have also included diversity statistics in the submission template. This information gives us a better understanding of the demographics of practice areas, allowing us to better reflect diversity in the Brazilian legal market.  

Since we launched the Chambers Brazil guide there has been a steady increase in the percentage of ranked women. For Chambers Brazil Contentious 2022 guide, the growth was from 23% last year to 26% this year.  

In the year before, the total percentage was 19%, which represents a 7% increase in two years. This is a result of the increased diversity in the legal market coupled with our efforts to ensure our research fairly reflects the diversity of the profession.  

Significantly, the growth in women ranked can be seen across most practice areas covered by the Chambers Brazil Contentious 2022 Guide. When compared to last year, we had a 7% increase in International Trade/WTO; 5% increase in Dispute Resolution, 4% increase in Labour & Employment and Tax Litigation, 3% increase in Competition/Antitrust and Intellectual Property; and 2% increase in Bankruptcy/Restructuring.     

Furthermore, this increase is reflected at both ends of the rankings, with the most significant growth being at the bottom of the pyramid. The percentage of women ranked as Band 1 and Star Individuals grew from 14% to 19%, with 100% of Star Individuals in Chambers Contentious being women. Considering the Up-and-Coming and Associates to Watch categories, the percentage went from 38% to 41% of women in 2022. 

The results are certainly positive. However, we know that there is still a long way to go. We will continue our efforts to reflect the diversity of the Brazilian legal market accurately, working with the Chambers D&I team and the market for that purpose. We also hope the market continues to pave the way for a more diverse working environment for gender and beyond.