Angela Perry, Terra Atkinson and Deborah Fletcher Quoted in North Carolina Lawyers Weekly on Golf and Networking

Several women attorneys from the firm’s Charlotte office were quoted in an article in North Carolina Lawyers Weekly on women using golf as a method for building relationships, especially within the firm. Angela Perry, an associate in the Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Practice, first played golf as a summer associate. She found that she enjoyed the sport and realized what it could do for her career. “As a woman I didn’t want to say I don’t play and miss out on potential opportunities,” she says. Terra Atkinson, a partner in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice, says playing golf has been a positive for her. “I had had opportunities from the managing partner and from other partners who know I play,” she says. “If they needed someone to play in an event from Katten, they might think of me. If they think of me, it’s a bonus.”

Ms. Atkinson, along with Jill Dinerman, who chairs the firm’s Charlotte chapter of the Women’s Leadership Forum, helps to organize Katten’s annual women’s golf outing for attorneys and clients. The event draws veteran players as well as beginners. “It gives women who have played very little the opportunity to relax and network and not have to worry about being intimidated or having the men overpower you,” Ms. Perry says. Deborah Fletcher, a partner in the Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Practice, adds, “A lot of women, for a lot of good reasons, don’t continue practicing. The golf event is one of many initiatives we have to support women. It’s an opportunity for friendships and understanding of what it takes to do what we do and succeed.” (“Women attorneys increasingly set course for success with golf,” November 30, 2009)