On the day she quit Greenberg Traurig and launched her own Philadelphia law firm 3½ years ago, Francine Griesing knew what type of employer she wanted to be.

"I really wanted to create an environment where every woman or man who worked there could work without the fear you get in most traditional law firm settings," Griesing said last week during a panel discussion that was part of a daylong conference in midtown Manhattan focused on what it takes for women to succeed in the legal industry.