Claudette G. Wilson, an employment-law litigator and managing partner of Wilson Turner Kosmo, was, for the third time, named the San Diego Employment Law—Management Lawyer of the Year in the 2019 edition of the Best Lawyers in America and is included in the Best Lawyers Business (Spring 2019) “Women in the Law” edition where she shares her thoughts on how to best achieve more inclusivity in both the legal and business arenas.

Wilson was selected by her peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America© 2019. Named to the list each year since 2007, she was also named the San Diego Employment Law – Management “Lawyer of the Year” — a recognition she has received twice before in 2012 and 2016. This third honor landed Wilson in the “Women in the Law” edition discussing how to best achieve a more inclusive legal industry.

“As the managing partner of a successful women-owned firm, I am often asked by other firm leaders and clients how they can improve their gender diversity. My answer is always the same: You need to have women in positions of authority to see your female employees stay with your organization and thrive,” she said. “Having women in positions of authority assures that issues important to women are considered and hopefully implemented, and also lets junior women see a path to success for themselves.”

Wilson Turner Kosmo, one of the largest women-owned law firms in the state — with more than 80 percent of personnel being women or minorities — leads the charge to encourage and achieve diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

Wilson, a skilled litigator who heads the firm’s Employment Law Practice Group, has helped shape employment law and built one of the most inclusive law firms in California. She has more than 35 years of experience representing clients in high-stakes trials involving disability and age discrimination, wrongful termination and retaliation claims, among others. She has effectively argued cases before the California Court of Appeal and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

“While women in the law may be united in their savvy and resilience, they are nonetheless a diverse group from many different background and beliefs,” Best Lawyers editor Nancy Lippincott, wrote in the issue. “More than anything in this issue we wanted to highlight not just what these women have in common, but how they differ, and how those differences are changing the industry — and the country — for everyone.”

Wilson’s commentary, and that of other leading women attorneys, appears in the Best Lawyers Business (Spring 2019) “Women in the Law” edition and is available to view online at bestlawyers.com.