‘To be a hugely successful law firm, you have to have diversity. Clients are not all white middle class men.’ Kathleen Russ, Travers Smith
Following on from our feature on the rise of female leaders at the highest echelons of law, some of those leaders give their take on the direction of travel
More to be done
‘As a global future-facing law firm, diversity and inclusion are an imperative. We have made great strides with our UK board now comprising 50% women and women making up 34% of the partnership, but we know there is always more to be done, particularly in ensuring greater representation of ethnic minorities at a more senior level. Having more female leaders in the industry is an important and positive step in enabling a more holistic approach to understanding and resolving issues.’
Penelope Warne, senior partner, CMS
Stronger together
‘All generations need to be mindful of the fundamental need of lawyers to work in teams. Big law is not best served by people working in silos or in a very solitary way. I don’t know any law firms yet over this summer that have been particularly successful in encouraging associates back – it’s like we have all got out of the habit of going to work. Associates need to reconnect with the idea of office working to allow the osmotic effect of learning through teams to be maximised. To understand their role as pupil and teacher to those behind them and sometimes all of us have to do stuff that’s boring to lay the foundations. We cannot think we are too good for it. The devil is always in the detail.’
Karen Seward, global head of litigation, Allen & Overy
Do the right thing
‘To be successful you have to have an appreciation of different perspectives, approaches and points of view on all levels. You have to have an appreciation of context and situations and assimilate all these views. You can’t make everyone happy but you can accept all these views and come out with the best outcome. It’s not only about listening to what people are saying, but also what people are not saying. It does not always make you popular, you won’t be liked by everyone, but you can have the confidence that it’s the right decision.’
Liz Cohen, joint-managing partner, Bristows
Mix it up
‘It’s really important to get buy-in from your male stakeholders, which is often going to be the majority of the firm. It’s really important to focus on building your tribe around you, really good people, both male and female, for support. That’s important both for strategic reasons but also for having that internal network. Women have an extra threshold to get over in terms of being credible in this role and really demonstrating to male stakeholders that, not only we can do it but that we can probably do it better, or just as well.’
Natasha Harrison, deputy chair and managing partner, Boies Schiller Flexner
Different strokes
‘There are high levels of flexibility across the business and we have been piloting different structures depending on the requirements of local teams. We have to monitor progress and adapt as we are all learning about how this will work. There is an element of learning on the job as we adapt and adjust. In Hong Kong, for example, the pandemic hit first, so we were able to share best practice from that experience across the rest of the firm. There are fantastic male leaders, mentors and champions so EQ is not the preserve of one gender to the exclusion of the other. Listening is very important, listening to what the business wants and needs, listening to clients’ concerns and where there are gaps in the market. It is a strength of all leaders to do that.’
Georgia Dawson, senior partner, Freshfields
Holding it together
‘There has been a huge focus on staying connected in order to support everyone’s mental health and this was particularly challenging during lockdown. I think it is important to reassure people and thank them for their hard work. Whilst the world might look like it’s falling off a cliff, everyone has performed really well.’
Sally Davies, London managing partner, Mayer Brown
Inclusion agenda
‘I don’t want to get pigeon-holed as the diversity and inclusion person but it is important and it does matter. Our core pillar is people and we need to have a better reflection of society in the legal profession. I chair our D&I board and will continue to prioritise LGBTQ+, gender, differently abled, faith and black and minority ethnic diversity. The issue is not just about recruitment, it’s about being genuinely inclusive. You have to see any different backgrounds people have as being additive, not moulding people to be the same as someone else. On a moral level that must be right. To be a hugely successful law firm, you have to have diversity. Clients are not all white middle class men.’
Kathleen Russ, senior partner, Travers Smith
Making a move
‘It’s been wonderful as each additional senior partner’s got elected, we’ve all been in touch with each other and there’s a really great vibe between everyone because we’re really excited about what’s happening in the industry. We’re really making a significant move where soon it won’t be at all remarkable to have a female chair elected. That’s really what we’re aspiring to.’
Rebecca Maslen-Stannage, chair and senior partner, Herbert Smith Freehills