Cohen Milstein has once again been recognized as a leader in advancing women in the legal profession. In Law360’s 2025 Women in Law Report, the firm is ranked among the top for the number of female attorneys and for its strong representation of female equity partners. 

Ceiling Smashers Recognition: For the ninth time since the inaugural report was released in 2014, Cohen Milstein earned the distinction of “Ceiling Smasher,” ranking 3rd among firms with 101 – 250 attorneys for the highest percentage of female equity partners. 

Overall Ranking: Cohen Milstein ranked 15th among firms of its size for the overall percentage of female attorneys. The stats include: 

  • 46.7% of all equity partners are women 
  • 35% of all partners are women 
  • 23.3% of all non-equity partners are women 
  • 55% of all associates are women 
  • 55% of all other lawyers, including of counsel, discovery counsel, and staff attorneys are women 

These rankings underscore our firm’s long-standing commitment to fostering equity, opportunity, and leadership for women in law. 

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They say you can get anything in New York City — and that includes wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs) through taxi companies and rideshare apps. Uber’s and Lyft’s New York fleets include WAVs that enable people with disabilities to get a ride on demand, just as many other busy commuters do.

However, this ridesharing access is not common, according to New York-based attorney and disability rights advocate Aaron Marks. Aaron is an associate in the antitrust practice of Cohen Milstein, a plaintiff-side law firm representing disability rights organizations in a class-action lawsuit over rideshare companies’ lack of services for disabled passengers.

“There are jurisdictions and cities that have taken the initiative to force rideshare companies to stop blocking wheelchair users from their services, and New York City is one of them,” Aaron says. “We see in those jurisdictions that WAVs are available to people who need them.”

Accessible taxis and rideshares don’t exist everywhere. In cities like New York where they do, however, they’re a powerful reminder of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the opportunities that unfold when people with disabilities have the same access to transportation as their non-disabled friends and neighbors.

“Right now, there is a patchwork of local and state regulations, which leads to varying outcomes for people depending on where they happen to live,” Aaron says. “Somebody living in one city may have access to WAVs in their ridesharing app, but they could move to an apartment building across the street and no longer have access to the same vehicles because now they’re living in a different city. It’s an inconsistent experience.”

It’s important to understand that you have rights as a rideshare consumer with a disability. If you feel you’ve been discriminated against, you can file a complaint with Uber, Lyft, or whichever company you’re using.

You can also seek support from your state’s protection and advocacy agency (find a state protection agency) or file a complaint with the US Department of Justice (file a complaint).

For the 6th time, Cohen Milstein has ranked among the “Ceiling Smashers” in the Law360 Pulse Women in Law Report. Ranking among the top 3 firms with 101-250 attorneys, Cohen Milstein is recognized as a firm with the most female attorneys in the equity partnership.

According to Law360 Pulse’s 2024 Women In Law Report, although women make up around 41% of all lawyers, they hold just over a quarter of equity partner positions across the industry. Again, this year’s ranking uses a pipeline score methodology with benchmarks to indicate whether firms are keeping pace with the talent pipeline in hiring, promoting and retaining female attorneys.

Despite the broader industry challenges, the firms that made it onto Law360 Pulse’s Ceiling Smashers list are demonstrating that strides towards gender parity in the upper ranks are possible.

See more about the Glass Ceiling Report.

What is an Inclusion Rider? 

An inclusion rider is a provision in an actor or content creator’s contract designed to promote diversity in film casting and production. It sets forth a hiring process that incorporates elements including: 

  • Commitment to deepening and diversifying hiring pools 
  • Establishment of benchmarks/targets for hiring 
  • Collection, measurement, and analysis of application and hiring data 
  • Implementation of measures of accountability for progress toward hiring goals 

The inclusion rider is a powerful tool that organizations and professionals can use to advance representation in the film and other industries. 

Adopting an Inclusion Rider 

Inclusion riders are based on a template that was originally developed by Cohen Milstein alumna Kalpana Kotagal along with Fanshen Cox of Pearl Street Films and Dr. Stacy L. Smith of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. We encourage you to download the current version of the template, as well as our model policy for companies: 

These materials provide a flexible framework adaptable to various contexts. They should be considered together with legal counsel. 

A Brief History of the Inclusion Rider 

The idea for the inclusion rider originated at Pearl Street Films in the fall of 2016. It was intended as a way for Hollywood A-listers to help make the industry more equitable both on- and off-camera. 

Soon after, several companies committed to adopting inclusion riders, including: 

  • AMC Studios 
  • Forest Whitaker’s Significant Productions 
  • Scott Budnick’s One Community 
  • Stephanie Allain’s HomeGrown Pictures 
  • Layne Eskridge’s POV 
  • Jeff Friday Media 
  • Lynette Howell Taylor’s 51 Entertainment 
  • Carri Twigg and Nicole Galovski’s Culture House 
  • Matt Nicholas and Nastassja Kayln’s Rebel Maverick
  • Farhoud Meybodi’s Ritual Arts 
  • Harry and Gina Belafonte’s Sanfoka.org 
  • Portal A 

The inclusion rider gained worldwide attention following the 2018 Academy Awards, where it was mentioned by Frances McDormand in her Best Actress acceptance speech. 

In 2021, a reimagined inclusion rider template was released, as well as a model inclusion rider policy for companies. These materials were developed by Kalpana Kotagal, Fanshen Cox, and Endeavor Content HR head Dr. Tasmin Platter as part of a coalition involving Color Of Change’s #ChangeHollywood initiative.  

The updated inclusion rider expands on the original legal framework. It focuses on intersectional inclusivity, encompassing gender, race and ethnicity, LGBTQIA identity, age, and disability. It also provides additional tools for hiring crew from underrepresented backgrounds and introduced accountability measures.

The 2023 Law360 Pulse Women in Law Report names Cohen Milstein a top ranked firm for the number of female attorneys, as well as a “ceiling smasher” for having the highest representation of female equity partners.

Ceiling Smashers – Cohen Milstein is ranked 2nd in the nation for firms with 101 – 250 attorneys for having the highest representation of female equity partners.

Overall, Cohen Milstein ranks 11th in the nation for firms with 101 – 250 attorneys for having the highest percentage of female attorneys in the ranks, including:

  • 41.5% of all partners are women
  • 52.9% of all equity partners are women
  • 33.3% of all non-equity partners are women
  • 43.3% of all associates are women
  • 56.1% of all other lawyers, including of counsel, discovery counsel, and staff attorneys are women

Read How Firms Stack Up On Gender Equity.

Read These Firms Have The Most Women In Equity Partnerships.