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Three years ago, former high-powered litigators Sari Gabay-Rafiy and Anne-Marie Bowler walked away from the big-firm life, and founded their own small practice. The result is one of the first law firms in the city owned and run exclusively by women.

"In a way, there is actually much more pressure," says Gabay-Rafiy. "But it's a pressure that we have self-imposed, it's what we wanted and it's why we built it."

They also built the firm because they were fed up with the glass ceiling that they say exists at many larger practices.

"I think the number of women at large law firms in high-powered positions is small and I think to get there it takes a lot of sacrifice," explains Bowler. "So I think that there still exists a glass ceiling."

But at Gabay-Rafiy and Bowler, the partners say the skies the limit. They just hired their first associate.
"It's just the trend, it's just the way the world is becoming," says associate attorney Pennina Oren. "I think it's exciting to be a part of it. Fifty years ago it would have been crazy to think a woman owned firm, and three women being attorneys, and now it's interesting and a little different, but it's not shocking."

But the bold move has impressed a lot in the legal industry, especially in this troubled economy.

"When we left the large firm a lot of people thought we were crazy," recalls Bowler. "It's funny because now that a lot of people are getting laid off or choosing to leave, we see a lot of our colleagues that we worked with who are at our level or higher are coming to us for advice for starting a practice."

The partners say being their own boss is not easy and they have taken a significant pay cut, but they say flexibility and independence they have is priceless.

For more information on the firm, visit www.gabaybowler.com.