Gardere Partner Kim Yelkin Chairs Dress For Success Corporate Guild

Online, March 8, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP is pleased to announce that Kim Yelkin, Executive Partner of Gardere's Austin office, will chair the 2011 Austin Dress for Success Corporate Guild.

Today Dress for Success Austin kicks off a recruiting drive to encourage companies across central Texas to join the corporate guild. Dress for Success is a nonprofit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women.

DFS' Corporate Guild's special appreciation event tonight at the new W Austin Hotel will thank corporate sponsors for their generosity and sign up new corporate members. Dress for Success provides professional attire, and a network of support and career development tools to help them thrive and take charge of their lives.

Ms. Yelkin is a founding member of the Austin DFS Corporate Guild. She and fellow Gardere attorneys Nan Beaird and Leslie Robnett are committed not only to being leading lawyers in Austin, but also to being leaders who are actively involved in civic and community affairs.

"One suit can make an amazing difference in a woman's life," Yelkin said. "With a suit and career development services from Dress for Success, a woman can walk into an interview with confidence and take the first step towards economic independence. Gardere is a long-time supporter of the Corporate Guilds in Austin, Houston and Dallas. We are pleased to be involved with an organization who gives so much, and allows our firm and our members to give back to our community."

The goal of the corporate fundraising drive is to increase the Austin corporate guild membership to a minimum of 30 corporations that generate revenue of at least $50,000 per year. Achieving this annual monetary goal will allow DFS to be able to fulfill its mission of preparing more women for Austin's vibrant business community, and supporting them in their personal and career development.

Corporate Guild membership is available at two levels: $3,000 or $1,500. For more information in Austin, call Executive Director, Judy Chambers Dress for Success at 512-389-3723 or email [email protected].

Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 100 cities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the UK and the West Indies. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 500,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, an AmLaw 200 firm founded in 1909 and one of the Southwest's largest full-service law firms, has offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston and Mexico City. Gardere provides legal services to private and public companies and individuals in areas of government affairs, energy, litigation, corporate, tax, environmental, labor and employment, intellectual property and financial services.