The Tonkon Timeline

1985

Carol Hibbs Elected as First Woman Partner

1985 - Hibbs Headshot - landscape

On Jan. 1, 1985, Carol Hibbs was the first female attorney admitted to the partnership. After she became a partner, Carol received word that her first adopted child would soon be ready to come home and she notified the partnership. At the time, Tonkon Torp had an eight-week paid leave policy for birth mothers, but it didn’t cover adoption. At the next partner meeting, they decided to address the discrepancy and became early adopters of paid parental leave for any attorney, male or female, who had a child (whether by birth or adoption). This groundbreaking policy was born of our ongoing belief that diverse voices can – and should — change and improve policy.