Crains New York - May 6, 2013 - (Page 13)

DIVERSITY REPORT INSIDE THE LIST NY area’s largest minority-owned companies PAGE 15 ‘When the C suite [wants to] diversify the corner office, the GC job comes up’ —Kara Baysinger, partner at Dentons, Page 14 Wanted:women general counsels COVETED ROLE: As general counsel for Estée Lauder, Sara Moss leads a staff of 35 lawyers, more than half of them women. The job opens a door, but other top positions remain out of reach BY JUDITH MESSINA When Sara Moss became general counsel of Pitney Bowes in 1996, she was one of eight women GCs in Fortune 500 companies. Today, as executive vice president and general counsel for Estée Lauder, she has more company. There are 108 women running the legal affairs of major American corporations, nearly double the number in 2001. Many of those women signed on in just the past decade. “It’s become a coveted role,” said Ms. Moss. NUMBER of women who Since the were Fortune 500 general 1990s, corporate counsels in 1996 legal departments have become a redoubt for women, fed by a growing pipeline of talNUMBER in 2013 ent, pressure for Sources: Courageous Counsel by Michele Mayes and Kara Baysinger; Minority diversity and Corporate Counsel Association frustration at the arduous, often disappointing route to the top of major law firms. Ms. Moss, for one, leads a staff of 35 lawyers, more than half of them women. “The real issue isn’t so much about the numbers of women coming into organizations,” said Joseph West, president of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. “It’s more about corporate law departments being better places from an inclusiveness stand- GENERALLY SPEAKING 8 buck ennis 108 See WANTED on Page 14 MWBEs eye city certification to boost opportunity Small businesses laud programs, but do they help land contracts? BY HILARY JOHNSON Some minority- and women-owned business owners may find fault with the city’s services. Vicole Martinez is not among them. After graduating in February from Strategic Steps for Growth, a nine-month business- 5% management program offered by at NYU, and as a result learned how the city through New York Univerto secure bonding (a contractor’s sity, Mr. Martinez, owner of Bronxguarantee provided by a surety bond PORTION of city based Seagull Construction, feels company), a line of credit and a bank contracts that minority- and more confident and believes he’s loan. By focusing more on sales and women-owned poised to win more contracts, inmarketing, an area he said he needed businesses win cluding a bigger piece of the city’s help with, he found more opportunieach year $10 billion procurement pie. ties for interior-construction work in “I’m so happy that the city has both the private and public sectors.In these types of programs,” he said. “Otherwise, the first quarter of this year, his revenue was I do not believe I would have access to oppor- three times what it was for all of 2012. tunities or the ability to execute them.” Strategic Steps for Growth is one of several Mr. Martinez studied finance, accounting, programs geared toward the 3,500 certified miand sales and marketing, among other topics, nority- and women-owned firms that operate in the New York City area. Certification indicates that these small businesses offer products or services that the city buys.Only firms that are a good match are encouraged to certify. The Bloomberg administration supports all small firms through its Department of Small Business Services, but pays special attention to minority- and women-owned business enterprises.The city’s goals for MWBE participation in procurement are written in Local Law 129, enacted in 2005 and updated earlier this year. Not everyone praises the city’s efforts. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer See MWBEs on Page 14 May 6, 2013 | Crain’s New York Business | 13

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - May 6, 2013

THE INSIDER
IN THE BOROUGHS
IN THE MARKETS
BUSINESS PEOPLE
REAL ESTATE DEALS
SMALL BUSINESS
OPINION
GREG DAVID
REPORT: DIVERSITY
THE LIST
CLASSIFIEDS
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
SOURCE LUNCH
OUT AND ABOUT
SNAPS

Crains New York - May 6, 2013