Patricia (Pat) K. Gillette is one of the country’s leading experts and most sought-after speakers on gender diversity and equality. Rated as a top employment litigator and trial lawyer by Chambers USA and other organizations for 40 years, and as a leader and rainmaker in her firms, Pat’s legal career previously focused on assisting Fortune 500 companies with their most difficult issues and challenges. At the end of 2015, she resigned from her firm to pursue her passion for empowering women through keynote speaking and writing. She now tours the country speaking on issues that help women advance into leadership positions in their organizations. Pat was invited to join JAMS in 2016 and she now spends some of her time mediating employment cases.
Pat has been recognized for her work to advance women in the profession by many organizations. She is the 2018 recipient of the ABA Margaret Brent Award, the highest honor given to women lawyers for professional achievement and for advancing the interests of women lawyers. She has also received the ABA Golden Hammer Award, the California Women Lawyers Association’s Fay Stender Award, the Transformational Leadership Award as one of the Top Women Rainmakers, and the Barristers Association of San Francisco Award of Merit.
Pat is the co-founder of the Opt-In Project, a nationwide initiative focused on changing the structure of law firms to increase the retention and advancement of women. The team she co-chaired at the 2016 Hackathon created the Mansfield Rule, which has now been adopted by several law firms and corporations across the country as a means of immediately impacting the opportunities for women to advance into leadership positions.
Pat has been a Commissioner on the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, a member of ABA’s Gender Equity Task Force, and Co-Chair of the BASF No Glass Ceiling Initiative. She also has served on several nonprofit boards dedicated to protecting and promoting women, including the National Association of Women Lawyers Board and Foundation and Legal Momentum, and is currently a board member of Equal Rights Advocates and DirectWomen.
Pat newest book, “Rainmakers: Born or Bred” is filled with tactics and strategies to enhance business development skills and expand books of business. In the book, she highlights the acclaimed Rainmaker Study and includes helpful tips from rainmakers and clients across the country, as well as insights from her own experiences as a successful rainmaker in her firms.
Pat is the proud mother of two successful and enlightened sons and lives in Kensington, Calif., with her husband of 44 years. She has served as an elected official of her town and is active in political and community organizations and activities.