Featured Barrister: Dr Laura Davidson, No. 5 Chambers, London

Dr. Laura Davidson, Barrister at No.5 Chambers, London

How long have you been working at No. 5 Chambers?
3 ½ years.

Tell us a bit about your background.
After qualifying for the Bar and undertaking pupillage, I chose to go to Cambridge to do a Masters in Law for a year. Although I had fully intended to return to the Bar after my LLM, I was then offered a PhD scholarship by Trinity Hall and ended up staying. I undertook my doctorate in mental health law and human rights. During that time, I taught law to many undergraduates, and I continue to lecture and regularly write law articles.

What would you say is your proudest professional achievement and why?
When I returned to London after my PhD and took up my tenancy at the Bar, within a year my Chambers (a small specialist medical set) chose to dissolve. As the most junior barrister (and having spent my first year doing run-around criminal prosecution work and small claims), I had built up no practice and had no solicitors to offer to other sets, all of which were funding their own pupils in training. I was dismayed that none of the other barristers felt obliged to assist the juniors to move elsewhere, and I found myself unable to obtain another tenancy. I had to undergo what was effectively another pupillage (pupillage is rarely fun in the first instance). This was during an extremely pressured period of my life, as my mother had terminal cancer.

A year later I managed to secure another tenancy, but unfortunately no-one else at the set did mental health work, and the promised expansion into this area never came. My clerks did not have links with solicitors in the field and I was left to build up my practice alone. My proudest professional achievement is the fact that I managed to do so with no assistance or support, and within a relatively short space of time became well-regarded in my field and was able to move to a set with a small specialist team of healthcare barristers.

What are the greatest challenges that you have faced to date in your current role? What do you do to overcome them?
My biggest challenges probably relate to dealing with opponents who are unnecessarily aggressive, adversarial and/or rude. I undertake a great deal of Court of Protection work which is meant to be inquisitorial in nature. There are sometimes ethical dilemmas and very often family members (some of whom I represent) who are extremely emotional about the proceedings. Courtesy from others ought to be a given, but unfortunately it is not. However, I believe discourtesy is not gender-related.

There are, of course, also significant pressures relating to deadlines – sometimes created by instructing solicitors who fail to provide documentation and bundles in good time – which can lead to very late nights and a significant lack of sleep. I do work well under pressure, but after a few days of less than six hours’ sleep and long working days, my body starts to shut down. I do not think that this is good for either mental or physical health, but it seems to be part and parcel of the Bar.

How difficult is it for you to attain a work-life balance and what steps do you take towards this?
I find it extremely difficult to attain a good work-life balance. As a self-employed person it is difficult to turn a case down. Furthermore, you often find while you are in court that your clerks have booked you for something else the following day when you expected to be able to catch up on paperwork. I fence for Northern Ireland and trained at quite a high level, but since competing in the Commonwealth Fencing Games in 2006, I simply find that I cannot train sufficiently regularly to warrant competing as much as I did previously. I work approximately two weekends each month, and even if I take a break for sport in the evening, I often have to work again afterwards. I would find it inconceivable to stop work before 6.30pm (and it is usually later), even though many of my clients are local authorities and their offices close at 5.00pm.

I also co-founded a charity in 2008 (Mental Health Research UK, which is the first UK charity dedicated to funding research into the causes of mental illness in order to develop better treatments with fewer side-effects). We are now four Trustees and all of us work full-time; we have no employees to assist us and this takes up a huge amount of my ‘spare’ time. However, I very much believe in the need for the charity and I do my best to make time for it.

Have you ever had a mentor? If so, who were they and how did they help you?
I did not have a mentor while I was studying, although I did have one through Lincoln’s Inn. He provided a reference when I was applying for my various Lincoln’s Inn scholarships (and I obtained numerous scholarships, including one of the coveted accommodation awards, so it obviously did the trick!), and it was good to dine with him on one or two occasions when I was trying to get a feel for the Inn’s idiosyncratic traditions and to feel more like a real-life barrister!

I do recollect being very inspired by Dame Helena Kennedy QC who spoke at the Oxford Union when I was a student. I also read her book, “Eve Was Framed”, which made me determined to be a barrister and to try to make a difference.

How effective do you think corporate diversity initiatives are and what methods do you think are most effective?
I suspect this question is more for solicitors. However, I am supportive of positive discrimination in relation to women in all fields because it seems that if we wait for men to recruit the best candidates and redress the balance without it, we will wait forever! Women obtain far superior results at school and university, yet are still appallingly represented at the highest level in almost every field. The reason is obvious: men are already there, and people hire people like themselves.

Were there any points in your career when you felt you were at a disadvantage or advantage because you were female?
In general I have not felt disadvantaged by being female, although when I undertook pupillage, the Bar was overwhelmingly male. I have also come across misogyny amongst senior clerks and practice managers in several sets of Chambers. One particular set which shall remain nameless was infamous for having ten pupils, all (or almost all) of whom would be tall, slim and attractive young women. The set would rarely take any of them on as tenants; out of about 40 tenants, there were only two women. I also recollect on one occasion during pupillage a QC making a complimentary (but entirely inappropriate) comment about my legs. I did feel at a disadvantage in that instant because I felt so helpless to change things.

What do you think have been the most significant changes for women in the legal industry over the past five years?
In the very high earning areas of law, such as shipping and commercial, there continues to be a huge predominance of men. Part of that is due to men tending to be more attracted to high earnings than women, but in my opinion it is also due to men hiring people like themselves. 

In terms of solicitors, I would say that I am instructed by both men and women on an equal basis.

I think that there is a general trait in the female gender for women to doubt themselves, and making it at the Bar requires significant determination. In my view, self-doubt amongst women often makes them go for the more ‘secure’ option of becoming a solicitor. Further, again a generality, but men tend to be higher risk-takers than women and so may be more prepared to pay the vast fees to qualify at the Bar than women, resulting in less women choosing it as a career.  That said, I am very glad to see that women are much better represented at the Bar now than when I undertook pupillage.

Filed under: Featured Barrister, Barrister at No.5 Chambers, chambers women in law, Dr. Laura Davidson, featured barrister, London

Stopping the Brain Drain of Senior Women Lawyers by Harini Iyengar, 11KBW Chambers

Harini Iyengar is a barrister who specializes in Employment and Discrimination Law at 11KBW. She argues that positive steps must be taken to address the attrition of senior women lawyers.

Democracy requires a representative judiciary; yet at current rates of progress, it will take 45 years to achieve gender equality in the senior judiciary. As it stands, the legal profession and, in turn the judiciary, is diminished by the brain drain of highly-educated, professionally-qualified, and experienced senior women. There are 10 times as many women solicitors as barristers, and they constitute an important pool of future female judges. 59% of newly qualified solicitors are female but career tracks still diverge on gender lines. In 2009, the proportion of female associates made up to partner level at the top 30 UK law firms was 27%. Across all practice seniority bands, a lower proportion of women solicitors than men achieve partnership status. Furthermore, in the 2012 round for appointment of QCs, women had a higher success rate than men: 58% compared to 37%. Out of 214 applicants, however, only 40 were female. No appointees were solicitors.

The Report on Judicial Diversity 2010 concluded that “there is no quick fix” and a fundamental shift is required away from the focus on selection processes towards a judicial career that addresses diversity at every stage. A key goal is “increasing diversity within the upper echelons of the legal professions.”

It is commonly believed that women themselves elect to specialise at work, that senior women (married to senior partners or QCs) make personal choices to stay at home, and that these choices are no one else’s business. The evidence, however, suggests that leavers seek more flexible employment outside the law that would require them to pay less for childcare.

Financial reasons are the most common factors cited by all leavers from the Bar, named by 63% of the self-employed leavers. Broken down into race categories, more female than male leavers give financial reasons.

Related to this is the high cost of childcare. Research by the Daycare Trust showed average earnings during 2011 increased by 0.3% but nursery fees had increased by 6%. In fact, the UK has the world’s most expensive childcare. The long hours culture of the legal profession necessitates extensive childcare. It is noteworthy that 66% of barrister mothers have the main responsibility for providing or organising childcare, while the same applies to only 4% of barrister fathers. Out of barrister mothers, 11% have the childcare organised or provided by someone else, compared to 70% of barrister fathers.

Hence, it is not difficult to see that there are significant economic aspects underlying the choice to leave legal practice – decisions which may superficially appear voluntary. Women are rational financial actors, especially when their children are involved. A strategic aim for those who seek a more representative judiciary must be to retain mothers within both legal professions.

In terms of practice focus, numerically more female barristers work in criminal and family law than other specialisms. Publicly funded work is under great strain because of cuts. Income differences between male and female barristers largely result from more women working in these practice areas. Not only are these specialisms among the three with the highest average weekly hours, both career satisfaction and pay are also significantly lower than average for self-employed barristers working mainly in these fields. It is unsurprising, then, that 66% of female leavers had been engaged in publicly funded work.

In my opinion, longstanding employment laws on sex discrimination and equal pay provide protections for senior women lawyers, but political and cultural change would be most effective in helping to reduce the attrition of female lawyers. A clear business case also exists for solicitors’ firms and barristers’ chambers to retain senior women instead of incurring recruitment costs for replacements.

I hence urge the Government and the professions to adopt the following practical steps:
- give tax relief on childcare to employed and self-employed lawyers for nurseries, babysitters, childminders, nannies, afterschool care, au pairs, and school holiday clubs, as acknowledgement of the long hours put in by lawyers;
- retain child benefit as a universal entitlement paid directly to mothers;
- bring into force section 78, Equality Act 2010 requiring larger employers to publish information on the gender pay gap;
- create cultural change in the professions to accord greater tolerance and respect to lawyers working flexibly or part-time;
- create cultural change within solicitors’ firms and companies to encourage more solicitors and employed barristers to apply to be QCs and judges;
- monitor whether lawyers choose and practise specialisms freely or because of sex-based stereotypes;
- do long-term research and analysis of past and future occupations and earnings of senior women lawyers who leave the profession.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of 11KBW.

Filed under: Opinion Piece, 11KBW, Harini Iyengar, Stopping the Brain Drain of Senior Women Lawyers

Planning a career break? Read the small print first! By Dana Denis-Smith

A colleague who created advertisements aimed at lawyers once claimed that he doubled the response rate when he halved the print size!

It’s a good line but I’m not sure I believe him. True, we work in a profession which requires us to trawl large volumes of text, but for most people ‘small print’ is more of a metaphor for hidden traps than a description of the size of the typeface.

So to start the ball rolling I’m going to highlight some of what I call the ‘small print’ involved in taking a career break to start a family. And I do not mean the obvious disadvantages such as less money but some of the things you might not think of until you’re a year or so into what you once thought would be paradise but now wonder how you can retain your professional identity.

I do so in the hope that you will comment and, especially, come back with some helpful tips from your own experience.

Firstly, there’s the kudos, or rather the lack of it. People can understand the choices of the mother who commits to childrearing and the mother who continues full-time at work. These are not easy choices but to the outside world they may seem straightforward in terms of what they mean: one is either ‘in’ or ‘out’. Stepping out of the profession for a few years to look after the children creates the difficult third category and it can turn into a reality that wasn’t fully fathomed, and for which there are currently few solutions.

A qualified lawyer may be the butt of the usual gags but we do also command a degree of professional respect. Sacrifice any of that role, even for part of the time, and you’re ‘just a mum’, which should be a compliment but is often a brush-off.

Then there’s trying to combine the strains of motherhood with some work. Most part-time arrangements involve being present at the client interface, inflexible hours and a commute – all of which is almost as difficult as the full time work you left, only less remunerative.

And a third sneaky piece of ‘small print’ is the dreaded black hole in your CV, which sets you at a serious disadvantage to competitors with seamless CVs when you want to return to full-time work. At Obelisk, we take direct control of managing the work from clients and allocate it to our growing pool of home-working legal professionals in a way that lets them work as many hours as they can fit around the family. And it super-glues the CV in the process.

 Anyway, enough from me. I would like to hear what experiences, views and remedies do you have?
Dana Denis-Smith established Obelisk Legal Support in 2010 as a mission to overcome obstacles to women lawyers having a work/life balance.

Filed under: Opinion Piece, Dana Denis-Smith, Obelisk Legal Support, work-life balance for lawyers

Upcoming features: Kimberley Motley

I am very pleased to announce an exclusive upcoming feature interview with lawyer Kimberley Motley. Kimberley is the founding partner of Motley Legal and has recently received international press coverage relating to her instrumental work dealing with moral crimes in Afghanistan. She is the first woman to start her own legal practice there. I will be speaking to Kimberley about a number of issues including how she has handled being in the limelight, how she manages her work/life balance with a thriving international legal career and what tips she has for other women entering the legal profession.

STAY TUNED! 
Dee

Filed under: Featured Solicitor, Kimberley Motley. Afghanistan

Featured In-House Counsel: Regina Bynote Jones, Schlumberger

Regina Bynote Jones, General Counsel – Research, Engineering, Manufacturing & Sustaining, Schlumberger (Paris, France)

How long have you been working for your current company?
7 years

Briefly explain your career history and what led you to your current position.
I have worked in the Energy industry all for my entire career (20 years). I began my career as an Information Technology professional with Tenneco Energy (now El Paso Energy) in Houston, Texas. While with El Paso, I started attending law school at night while working full time. During the day, I provided desktop support and developed a matter management software system for the legal department. At night, I took courses at South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas. I then went to work for Shell Oil Company as a Contracts Manager, having dual responsibility for their Supply Chain Information Management software and handling global sourcing agreements for IT services. Upon finishing law school, I was offered an opportunity with Dynegy Marketing and Trade (an energy trading company) to oversee the IT function, providing support to the legal department (electronic discovery and litigation support) and with dual responsibility for the Client Contracts Management team of professionals. Eventually, I moved into a Legal and Regulatory Counsel role with Dynegy, supporting Federal Energy Regulations (FERC) matters, general legal matters and e-discovery efforts. After 6 years, I was offered an opportunity with Schlumberger in Houston as a Geomarket Counsel, with responsibility for legal support for the US field Operations. After 3 years, I was then transferred to Paris to lead the Global Client Contracts organization (familiar territory). Since then, I have also held the role of Global Manager of Trade Compliance. My experience in IT, supply chain, client contracts, regulatory and operations prepared me perfectly for my current role as the General Counsel for our Research, Engineering, Manufacturing & Sustaining segment. The job is dynamic, fun, extremely challenging and perfectly aligned with my skillset.

What is your proudest professional achievement and why?
My proudest professional achievement was when I was named as the Chairman’s Chief of Staff during my career with Dynegy. In this role, I participated with the Chairman in all board meetings, worked with him on the board executive committee and participated in all leadership strategy planning and executive management meetings. During this 2 years, I developed lifelong relationships and learned more than I have in any other role in my career. The most important learning – the value of good leadership.

What are the greatest challenges that you face in your current role and what do you do to overcome them?
My greatest challenge is in decision making and ensuring that I give the best legal advice in the context of the business realities by serving as a trusted advisor to the management team. The oilfield environment is highly technical and the governing laws in the countries we operate are changing frequently. As a General Counsel, the core of my role rests in my ability to make good decisions and provide solid guidance in the context of a dynamic business environment. As a lawyer, the laws change frequently and can be quite rigid. Furthermore, the business environment is complex and equally dynamic. This requires professional refreshing and constant clarity regarding the multi-jurisdictional implications of global decision making in very complex situations. Ultimately, by recognising that the ultimate client is our shareholder and with integrity as a guide, decisions are more straightforward.

How difficult is it for you personally to attain work-life balance and how do you endeavour to do this?
Work-life balance is never easy. Instead, I try to focus on being at the right places at the right times. For me, my life is about planning. Every agenda item has to be prioritised against the other. By asking questions such as “Is the budget meeting more important than the school play?” or, “Is the soccer championship more critical than the strategy planning meeting?” I appreciate that my time is merely a combination of choices that I must make regarding the importance of one event versus another. Sometimes, my children need to understand that I will not be available for an event. Other times, my boss needs to understand that I will not be available for a meeting. I must balance deliverables, deadlines, expectations and my personal needs on a regular basis. Every day, the variables are different. For me, the key is being open with all parties about your commitments. I have found that honesty, communication and flexibility are the core tenets. Planning is the glue that holds it all together. My husband also helps to keep the fabric of our family together. We work as a team.

Did you have a mentor or role model in your career or while you were studying law? Who were they and how did they help you?
I have been blessed to have mentors my entire life. If I named them all, I would run out of space on this page. Every encounter is an opportunity to learn something. Sometimes, the lessons are in the form of best practices, sometimes they are dismal disasters that you never want to emulate. I have learned from CEO’s and the janitors, just the same. In several situations, I have been taken under the wing of someone that truly has had my best interest at heart – these relationships have contributed more to me than I could ever imagine. People like Mike Walsh, former El Paso Energy CEO. He and I both happened to have a brain tumour in 1993, at the same time (while I was working at El Paso). He took me under his wing during this difficult experience and also mentored me as a person (a rare example of true leadership during adversity) and a differentiator. Another mentor in my life was Charles “Chuck” Watson, former Chairman and CEO of Dynegy. Chuck was (and still is) one of the best leaders I have ever encountered. Over 12 years later, I still quote him on things. He and his wonderful wife Kim are our children’s Godparents and we still spend lots of time together. Mentors are people who make an investment in your character. They do so with no expectation of return, but from a place of sincere interest in helping you to be better by passing on wisdom that they have learned along the way.

My other role model is my husband – he is the best man that I know! He has given me advice, guidance, insight, perspective and honesty when I needed it the most. I have accomplished the things that I have in my life because he has stood by my side and been a true partner. He is the smartest man that I know and inspires me to be the best at everything that I do… who needs more than that?

How effective do you think corporate diversity initiatives are? What methods do you think are most effective and why?
In my opinion, corporate diversity initiatives are as effective as the commitment of the organisation that stands behind them. In Schlumberger, corporate diversity is at our core, it’s not an initiative. It is a way of working and conducting business as one team – that team happens to be made of people of all nationalities, genders and cultures. As a company, we want to be reflective of the cultures, nationalities and genders where we work and live. That means that we all must work together to get us there, hence the most effective methods are those that involve every level of the organization. The leadership must put life into their words by taking actions that are reflective of the commitment. The person sitting in their office or working in the field must work and behave consistently with the principles that are reflective of the company’s commitment to diversity. When diversity is not an initiative, but a part of a culture, it can be a success.

Were there any points in your career when you felt you were at a disadvantage or at an advantage because you were female?
I think that you always have an advantage when you are the only one (or one of a few) that happen to be different in a room or group. Situations are what you make them. There will always be times when you feel like an outlier because you are the woman, the American or the person of a different ethnicity in a group. However, this means that you can turn this situation into an opportunity to help them understand more about you and to get to know you even better. Interactions with others are a gift. You can accept it, open it and embrace the opportunity or you can dwell on your differences and let it pass you by. People will remember you when you stand out, but what they remember about you is what is important.

What do you think have been the most significant changes for women in the legal industry over the past five years?
There are more of us. We are more comfortable in our skin. We wear more colorful clothes – and sandals to the office! I also think that there is more trust among women than in prior years. Finally, like Hillary Clinton once said, “the glass ceiling also has lots of cracks in it…”

Filed under: Featured In-House Counsel, Chamber and Partners, In-House Counsel, Regina Bynote Jones, Schlumberger, Women in law

This week’s featured question: What is your proudest professional achievement and why?

We asked Chambers-ranked lawyers and leading in-house counsel to share their thoughts…

Sahia Ahmad
General Counsel, Emirates Investment Authority, UAE

“I am proud to be the first person from the UAE to become a member of the UK Bar, the first woman from the UAE to become a partner in an international law firm and the first to hold a general counsel role in government.”

Cate Stetson
Partner, Hogan Lovells US

“I’m proud of every case and every client I’ve worked with.  But several specific things come to mind.  In April 2012, I argued two unrelated federal appeals back to back and coast to coast:  In the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in San Francisco, on Monday morning, and in the D.C. Circuit, back in Washington, on Tuesday morning.  It was a gruelling and surreal experience leading up to and during that 48-hour stint, but I gave everything I had to both arguments, and now I have a story few other appellate advocates can tell.  I’m also proud of the work my colleagues and I did representing the nation’s major hospital associations in support of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA); we filed amicus briefs in all of the major appeals and on all of the major issues in the Supreme Court, and they are all first-rate submissions.  Finally, I’d point to my extensive work within Hogan Lovells itself, including recruiting excellent lawyers to join the firm; recruiting, mentoring, and training new lawyers should be critical elements of every partner’s practice.”

Ancuta Delia Leach
Partner, Wolf Theiss, Romania

“Finalising in 2008 the acquisition of majority stake in the largest Romanian transport and logistics company from more than 2,000 individual shareholders represents a project I am particularly proud of. Our role as legal advisor in this transaction went beyond the type of assistance usually rendered to buyers in ordinary share deals. In addition to advising on complex legal issues, our team managed and oversaw the entire logistical process related to the private tender offer. The logistics involved not only the buyer and the sellers and their advisors, but also various third parties such as providers of courier services and notaries. I have coordinated the teams involved in these processes (including the competition clearance procedure) for ensuring the successful completion of the project within the ambitious deadline established by the client. To such end, I had to employ the most suitable management techniques so as to make sure that the transaction proceeds as smooth as possible and in line with client’s expectations.

I am equally proud of the great team of lawyers we managed to retain and develop in our Bucharest office since the commencement of our operations in Romania. I have enrolled myself with lots of enthusiasm in the recruitment process from the very beginning and such enthusiasm proved to be contagious in convincing great professionals to join our team. Integration of new colleagues was facilitated by the “work hard, play hard” principle shared by our team. Keeping the team motivated and focused on further development during the slowdown period was probably the most challenging task I faced as team leader. But I am glad to see that all such efforts helped the team grew stronger despite the difficult times and the recent promotions to senior associate positions certainly acknowledge such progress.”

Elizabeth G. Litten
Partner, Fox Rothschild, New Jersey

“Working with Jeff Brenner, MD (President and Chief Medical Officer of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers) to structure a New Jersey Medicaid model for Accountable Care Organizations (“ACOs”).  Jeff’s work as an inner-city primary care physician and his ability to collect and analyze data related to the use of local emergency rooms for primary care services inspired me to work with him and a small and diverse group of health care attorneys on a pro bono legal team. We conceived an ACO structure, drafted legislation, and modified the language as we worked with New Jersey stakeholders to achieve a breadth and depth of support for the bill that surpassed anything I had seen in Trenton. We gained support from the business community, health plans, hospitals, primary care providers, federally qualified health centers, religious and civic organizations, and state Medicaid program, to name a few. The bill was enacted into law, and the team met again this past fall (again pro bono), at the request of Medicaid, to draft regulations for Medicaid’s review and consideration. Publication of the proposed regulations is anticipated this spring.”

Emily Yiolitis,
Managing Partner, Harney Westwood & Riegels, Cyprus

“Bringing the jurisdictional advantages of Cyprus to the fore internationally by being a founding member in Cyprus of professional networks such as STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners www.step.org ) and ETIG (European Tax Intelligence Group www.etig.eu ). I am also a founding member of AIPFE (www.aipfe.com ), the International Association for the Promotion of Women in Europe, which is a pan-European, non-governmental organization advocating and encouraging the participation of women in European affairs.”

Betty Louie
Of Counsel, DLA Piper, Italy

“There are a number of achievements from which to choose, but perhaps my proudest professional achievement is the development of an independent China practice in Italy. The Italian market is a much smaller market (relative to the US market) with a particular dynamic for competition. As an American transplant here, I had to develop and orchestrate an independent professional practice for myself.”

Filed under: Question of the week, Ancuta Delia Leach, Betty Louie, Cate Stetson, Elizabeth G. Litten, Emily Yiolitis, Fox Rothschild, Harney Westwood & Riegels, Sahia Ahmad, tes Investment Authority

Featured In-House Counsel: Mariana D’Andrea, Viacom International Media Networks, The Americas

How long have you been working for your current company?
3 years.

Briefly explain your career history and what led you to your current position.
I started working as a paralegal for Cablevision, a leading MSO, Internet, media and entertainment corporation in Argentina. In 2001, after graduating from The Catholic University of Buenos Aires and working for over 7 years at Cablevision supporting their TV and Internet business, I became an in-house lawyer for with their legal division. In 2007, and after obtaining my Masters degree in Management in Spain, I joined Camargo Correa, one of the biggest Brazilian private conglomerates, where I was responsible for the creation and business development of its local divisions within South America. A few years later, I decided to come back to the media and entertainment industry and was offered a job with the Business and Legal Affairs team at Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN). Since January 2011, I’m head of the legal department in Argentina, from where I oversee the legal areas of the VIMN The Americas (Latin America), with direct report to the Vice President General Counsel in, Miami USA. What is your proudest professional achievement and why? Being a Lawyer in Argentina has become a gateway for me. I’ve had the opportunity to work not only for a local corporation, but also for a Brazilian conglomerate and now an American company. In addition, living and studying in Europe (Spain) and the U.S. (New York) has led me to discover a passion for multicultural environments. As a professional, my biggest achievement to date is having the ability to convey my passion for cultural diversity and bridge cultural differences by using my skills and fluency in languages across different countries.

What are the greatest challenges that you face in your current role and what do you do to overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in this role is being able to manage an internal team and outside counsels across the region. As an in-house lawyer, I’m focused at satisfying internal clients; however, in an industry that moves so fast and becomes more complex each day, and where new business and opportunities constantly defy legal boundaries, one must have the ability to manage people effectively in order to keep them motivated and deliver results.

How difficult is it for you personally to attain work-life balance and how do you endeavour to do this?
The work-life balance has never been too difficult for me. I understand that being single and not having kids takes a great deal of pressure off of the equation; however for me, to be able to enjoy time with family and friends, earn two master’s degrees abroad, and work full time, all while saving personal time was not an easy task. Prioritizing goals and acknowledging that success comes with a price have been key elements in helping me achieve my objectives.

Did you have a mentor or role model in your career or while you were studying law? Who were they and how did they help you?
Fortunately for me, I had a great boss and mentor at Cablevision. She is an excellent lawyer and professional who valued my curiosity and passion for learning and encouraged me to go the extra mile — in turn making me more confident. She taught and supported me and working with her for almost 7 years made an impact on my career and the professional I’ve become.

How effective do you think corporate diversity initiatives are? What methods do you think are most effective and why?
Corporate diversity initiatives are very important. I believe companies are stronger due to their diversity. A serious commitment to diversity and inclusion can make any company a powerful incubator of ideas and creativity. By implementing gender and cultural diversity initiatives, companies are able to attract the best talent in the business. In my opinion, some of the most effective methods of inclusion and diversity consist of initiatives that encourage their employees to have a voice and express their opinions and insights to senior management. These initiatives should be consistent within any industry and should serve as a platform and stepping-stone for an employee’s career development. It makes a tremendous difference when firms develop and incorporate initiatives that encourage dialog – to communicate, connect, and advocate with leaders and peers. This for me is a win-win situation.

Were there any points in your career when you felt you were at a disadvantage or at an advantage because you were female?
In the past, I have felt at a disadvantage because I am a woman. I can say that some countries, as well as some specific markets have a preference in dealing with male lawyers. But, even though men still have more opportunities and advantages in the legal profession, we (women) are proving ourselves as equals.

What do you think have been the most significant changes for women in the legal industry over the past five years?
Over the past five years, women in the legal industry have garnered more visibility by gaining access to leadership positions in both, law firms and companies. This has been accomplished due to the commitment and hard work of previous professional women, not only in law, but across all industries.

Filed under: Featured In-House Counsel, chambers and partners women in law initiative, in-house, Mariana D’Andrea, Viacom International Media Networks

Featured Solicitor: Randy Segal, Partner, Hogan Lovells

How long have you been working for your current company?
I joined Hogan Lovells in December 2009 after 18 years as General Counsel, largely for start-up telecommunications, satellite and technology companies that were subsequently taken public. Two of these companies were XM Satellite Radio and Hughes.

Briefly explain your career history and what led you to your current position.
My career path (and life path) reflects an equal measure of tsunami, good karma and a philosophy that change is good. After law school, I clerked one year each in the Southern District of New York and in the Fifth Circuit before beginning my career at a large New York law firm, where I promptly became part of a large corporate transactional finance team.

The tsunami then arrived; after my first child was born, the second child revealed itself to be triplets. This tsunami led to a flurry of repositioning efforts while in NY law firm practice — adding into the mix employment, executive compensation, securities law and other practice areas more suited to having four children under the age of 4. Through networking and quite a bit of luck, I was offered the position as General Counsel for a Washington, D.C.-based pre-IPO satellite technology company (backed by some very significant global telecommunications and technology companies and industry investors, including McCaw Communications, AT&T Wireless, Hughes Electronics, Singapore Telecommunications, Apollo and Columbia Capital). My husband, a photographer, followed my career and eventually assumed the role of stay-at-home dad and family CFO and COO.

Working as General Counsel for a start-up company is quite like drinking from a fire hose that is on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — every day, you do not know how business plans, issues and priorities will change. It is simultaneously wonderful and exhausting. The satellite industry, and even the broader telecommunications industry, is very interrelated, and one in which companies constantly spin off, acquire and merge with each other. After I moved to Washington, D.C., these industry relationships guided my career toward General Counsel and/or a member of the Board of Directors for American Mobile Satellite Corporation, Motient, Mobile Satellite Ventures, SkyTerra (later renamed LightSquared), TerreStar, XM Satellite Radio and Hughes.

Two years ago, with my youngest children at age 21, I decided it was time for another change. Joining Hogan Lovells was the right move for me from every perspective. My background was a perfect fit for their satellite practice, and I was offered the position as co-head of the global satellite group. The entrepreneurial skills I learned in-house from the business development and executive teams were put to great use helping to expand a global satellite practice, and the many business associates and friends in the industry I accumulated over the years proved to be great friends and clients in my new role. Hogan Lovells has a global footprint with over 40 offices and 2,300 lawyers throughout the U.S., Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, which is ideal for my satellite and telecommunications practice.

What is your proudest professional achievement and why?
My proudest professional achievement was (and still is) the ability to be among the toughest advocates for my clients but at the same time maintain the respect and trust of counterparties to transactions, such that they subsequently asked me to represent them and/or wanted us to represent their counterparties again. I have always practiced law with my entire being, committed to my clients, whether in-house or as outside counsel, and I always consider how to ensure I do everything I can, from every angle, to foresee issues (business or legal) that could arise for my clients.

At the same time, I have always been mindful to do the right thing, both at the table and at the end of the day. I have done it because, at the bottom of it all, you only have one reputation, and doing the right thing is what it is all about. It has turned out, entirely unplanned, that this has provided astonishing “pay-it-forward” returns in my law firm practice. This is what I call the “good karma” part of my career.

What are the greatest challenges that you face in your current role and what do you do to overcome them?
I can happily say that I am at a wonderful point in my career and family balance. I love my clients and my partners, and I thoroughly enjoy having adult children. My life is still a tsunami of sorts — three of my children, although working, have returned to live at home, and my parents have also moved in with me — but we all treasure this unique period where three generations can spend time together. And on the work front, as with every other law firm partner, conflicts and similar issues are not my favorite part of practice, but they are minor in the grand scheme of things. In short, I always try to spend much of my day laughing and always see my glass as more than half full.

How difficult is it for you personally to attain work-life balance and how do you endeavour to do this?
My life has always been a multi-level chess game and I am certain that I would be quite bored if it were not. I also would never have been able to do what I have done throughout my career without having my husband look at our two careers objectively and take on the role of stay-at-home dad (certainly not with four children). I work very hard at work but also am very committed to enjoying my time with my family. It has also become quite easier as my children have grown older, as we genuinely enjoy each other’s company. My two daughters, in particular, now think I am quite brilliant, their ultimate role model and a supermom. As most parents experience, I would not have said this five years ago.

Did you have a mentor or role model in your career or while you were studying law? Who were they and how did they help you?
When I was a General Counsel, I can look back at two of my CEOs as the most valuable mentors for my career. They helped me develop soft skills as an executive and “trusted advisor” and also were wonderful role models as to strategic transactional skills. I would never be who I am today without them. And both were men.

I have never worked for a woman or had a female mentor. I have, however, had many wonderful female friends both executives and law firm partners, who are great sounding boards, personal advisors and emotional anchors — roles that I fill for them as well. I believe that to become a great executive, keep things in perspective, maintain your humanity and keep the many aspects of your life in balance, you need to have both elements: the business mentor and the personal emotional anchors and sounding boards. My career mentors have been men and my personal gurus (generally) women.

How effective do you think corporate diversity initiatives are? What methods do you think are most effective and why?
I believe that the most effective “corporate diversity” initiatives are where you have a culture at the top that genuinely embraces diversity as second nature and leads by example. Whether it is by having a diverse board of directors or executive team, whether it is in a corporation or a law firm, it is going to be most effective when the leadership team and corporate culture embrace diversity as both the right thing to do and what is good for business. If you have an organization with that perspective in its baseline, then the rest is relatively easy. And, of course, even in the best environments, I believe it is important to be conscious of situations where diversity does not exist and be supportive of policies and infrastructure to help diversity flourish.

Were there any points in your career when you felt you were at a disadvantage or at an advantage because you were female?
When I practiced in New York earlier in my career, there was a definite perception among lawyers and clients that a woman with children could not possibly be there as and when needed for the work demands. After my children were born, I would not tell anyone who did not already know me that I had children (and certainly not that I had four children) for fear of being pre-judged. This all changed remarkably after I moved to Washington, D.C. The corporate and law firm culture in Washington D.C. was dramatically different than it had been in New York, and I never encountered an issue again as an executive or general counsel, or in law firm practice. In many transactions, I was the only woman at the negotiating table, and because I never saw it as an issue, none of the men around the table saw it as an issue either. I will comment that I also firmly believe that my lack of any disadvantages was due to the full backing and support of my CEO-mentors. Even as to negotiations in cultures where gender played a major role (such as in negotiations in Japan), once my CEO designated me as the lead, I was treated as the lead, no questions asked.

What do you think have been the most significant changes for women in the legal industry over the past five years?
With the pressures the economy has brought to develop new business, the need to learn the softer networking and client development skills has become much more important. According to studies, women are more likely to focus on the substance of getting their work done and short change opportunities for spending time with clients and potential clients, given the time constraints of trying to balance work and life demands. Networking and business development skills are not second nature to lawyers as a general matter, but as to women lawyers, the time constraints makes it particularly difficult to devote the time necessary earlier in their careers when they are often beginning their family life as well. Delaying development of these softer skills is possible when you have a vibrant economy and when finding new clients is just a matter of answering your telephone. That is not the case anymore, and women in the legal industry are learning earlier in their careers that they need to make time for their business development skills to be successful.

Filed under: Featured Solicitor, Chambers and Partners Women in Law, Hogan Lovells female partner, Randy Segal

Careers and relationships – what’s the fuss? By Amanda Yip QC

It is 2012.  Feminism has come a long way.  Yet still we are bombarded by comment about the role of women in society.  Anyone stepping into this arena faces a barrage of criticism.  Opinion pages and internet forums fuel the debate.  Is it time to stop investing so much energy in the debate and just to get on with making it work?

The last month has seen the full range of views reported and dissected in the press.  Two lawyers have hit the headlines.  In a throw-away line at the Leveson Inquiry, Lord Justice Leveson quipped to David Cameron about “the great value of wives” after the Prime Minister had been prompted to recall certain matters by his wife’s diary.  Pounced upon in some corners as a typical outdated view from a male judge, I choose to see that unguarded remark as no more or less than appreciation from a successful man of the value of a supportive partner. 

If we needed reminding that Prime Ministers’ wives do more than simply keeping an eye on their husbands’ diaries, Cherie Booth QC (Mrs Blair) popped up at Fortune magazine’s “Most Powerful Women” event and took the opportunity to accuse “yummy mummies” of turning their backs on feminism with a desire to seek a rich husband and retire.

At the other end of the spectrum we have Angela Neustatter arguing in her new book A Home for the Heart that “A whole generation of women have put their needs above those of their children.”  Responding to criticism, she later argued that she was fully committed to a sharing of labour within and outside the home “allowing women and men to participate in both the public and the private world with time and energy for both.”

Maybe everyone is really striving for the same thing.  Is a rewarding career coupled with a happy family life too much to expect?  Of course not!  That has been an expectation for generations of men.  True men may once have had supportive wives at home.  But times are changing.  No longer can it be assumed that the successful man is not pulling his weight at home. 

Women are succeeding more and more in the law.  Large numbers of young women are entering the legal profession and representation amongst the judiciary, QC’s and in partnerships is increasing.  There is still some way to go but we are perhaps doing better than some other sectors.

Also grabbing the headlines in June was Helen Fraser, chief executive of the Girls’ Day School Trust, who told its annual conference that girls should be as ambitious in their choice of partners as in their careers.  The slating she received for suggesting a woman could only succeed with a good husband behind her was unfair.  What she actually said was “It’s not just about finding a husband who does the Hoovering and makes the dinner.  It’s about finding one who really understands it is important for you to thrive and do well in whatever you choose to do.  They should be cheerleaders and take pride in their wife’s career as they do in their own.”   Of course, not every woman needs or wants a husband and children but the woman who does will undoubtedly find it easier to succeed if she is in a partnership with someone with the same values and aspirations.  I am lucky enough to have a husband who takes pride in my career as I do in his.  Working in partnership definitely leads to a better work-life balance for both of us.

That isn’t to say it is always easy.  When both partners have busy careers, with busy children to factor in too, juggling becomes a team activity.  Multi-tasking isn’t something only women can do; it just takes practice and a desire to play a full part in more than one area of life.  There are times when the juggling is hard work but equally there are times when everything seems to be in balance and the juggling brings its rewards.  Skills acquired in one area of life can cross over to another.

 I might not have dinner on the table when my husband walks in after a hard day but the skills I have learnt as a Mediator may add some “wifely value” as I help to resolve a conflict rather than just nod sympathetically.  Being a combination of Advocate, Negotiator, Mediator and Judge in my professional life can come in handy as I negotiate family life with three teenagers!  Equally, I know that my experiences in my own family life help me in my role as a barrister representing those who have experienced catastrophic personal injury.  Having recruited nannies to care for my children, I understand the concerns families have about recruiting carers for their relatives.  I can empathise about the natural reluctance to trust strangers with such an important job while also knowing the benefits of letting committed and caring people into the family circle.  My interest in my husband’s career has taught me business methods and ideas, some of which I can carry into my Chambers; useful at a time of rapid change in the legal sector. 

To those at an earlier stage of their careers and families, I say ignore the constant debate.  Do what feels right for you.  We all find different ways of negotiating our way through life.  Careers can be put on hold and later picked up.  Children thrive if those around them are happy and fulfilled; for many professional women that will involve continuing with a career.  The sooner we stop agonising over whether we are doing “the right thing”, the easier it will be for women just to get on and to continue to come through the ranks of the legal profession.

Amanda Yip QC is a barrister at Exchange Chambers. Called to the Bar in 1991, she became a QC in 2011. She practises in personal injury and clinical negligence litigation. She is also a Mediator and Recorder.

Filed under: Opinion Piece, Amanda Yip QC, Chambers and Partners Women in Law, Exchange Chambers, female lawyers and careers

Featured Barrister: Marcia Shekerdemian, 11 Stone Buildings

Marcia Shekerdemian is a UK Chambers ranked commercial barrister. Below, she discusses her career path to date.

How long have you been working for your current company?
Since May 1989.

Briefly explain your career history and what led you to your current position.
I left Cambridge with a law degree in 1986, was called to the bar in 1987 and started my commercial and common law pupillages. During that time I faced overt discrimination because I was a woman and because I was not English.  I was told that I was highly unlikely to be taken on because the next tenant had to be “in the traditional mould” (sic). So I had to leave 4 months into my pupillage. In the course of a brief stint in pupillage at a common law set, I was told by a Master in the course of a hearing “You’ll have to change your name if you want to stay at the English Bar”.   

When I arrived at 19 Old Buildings (as 11 Stone Buildings used to be known) for my 3^rd six pupillage in 1988, I felt certainly dejected, demoralised and more than a little defensive. However, my then pupil master Jane Giret (now a QC) did everything to encourage me and build my confidence as a young barrister. Her area of specialisation was company law. Back in the late 1980’s we were in the depths of the last recession:  there was no company law as such, just company insolvency and my insolvency practice took off from there. Bankruptcy litigation and shareholder disputes were an inevitable adjunct to my company law practice and my involvement in shareholder and partnership disputes gave me valuable exposure to commercial and banking litigation solicitors. In 1999 I was appointed as a deputy Registrar in Bankruptcy in the High Court and have sat in that capacity ever since. My practice now comprises predominantly contentious and non-contentious insolvency work, both in the UK and offshore, as well as general commercial litigation.     

What are the greatest challenges that you face in your current role and what do you do to overcome them?
Moving with the times! As barristers we operate in a fairly unique business model whereby we are self-employed and in charge of our own practices, but at the same time we belong to a Chambers with its own client network, reputation and branding. Moreover, we can no longer function as an addition to the corporate world but need to be part of it. When I came to the bar 24 years ago I was able to concentrate on “being a barrister” – buried in a library, writing hefty opinions or performing in court. Now, we need to know about price negotiation, business development and social media. Client care is particularly important and still perceived by some practitioners as being more than a little new-fangled. In this regard, I’d like to think that I was ahead of my time. Excellent client care is a key component of a stellar service and I like to think that I have risen to that challenge. At its most basic, good client care at the bar is about communication and if you work, as I do, within a specialist area, team work.

How difficult is it for you personally to attain work-life balance and how do you endeavour to do this?
The biggest challenge as a single parent of two children, one of whom is profoundly disabled, is controlling my own workload. Being self-employed, it takes a certain degree of bravery to turn away work. In our minds it’s always a case of feast or famine!  I am lucky enough to have been busy throughout my career, despite having taken three career breaks. With the assistance of a brilliant and supportive clerking team, I manage my work flow so that there is at least one entirely work-free weekend a month in the diary. It  is crucial not to fall into the trap of pretending that you don’t have children, or that their needs can be “managed” or subordinated to your practice. My clerks know my circumstances and are briefed to check with me before they accept any last minute work that might require to work all weekend, or take me out of London for more than a couple of days at a time.   

Did you have a mentor or role model in your career or while you were studying law? Who were they and how did they help you?
My pupil master, Jane Giret QC, undoubtedly played a big role in my career. When I started my pupillage with her in 1988, she was one of a handful of women specialising in company and business law and had already made a name for herself in what was then a male dominated profession. Jane did not have a university degree and was largely self-taught. She made me realise you can achieve great things by sheer hard work and by not letting yourself get or feel intimidated. She encouraged my potential from the outset and worked with me to grow my practice. She introduced me to her contacts from the very beginning and recommended they give me smaller pieces of work, even though I had no track record at that stage.

How effective do you think corporate diversity initiatives are? What methods do you think are most effective and why?
It is a given that initiatives which promote equality and diversity awareness now have a key and critical function in the workplace. So many of us think that we understand what diversity awareness entails, whereas its nuances on a day to day basis are not always fully appreciated. Of equal importance, but in my experience less prominence, are initiatives that promote a support network within the profession. For example, I recently attended the launch of the Middle Temple Women’s Forum, an initiative aimed at providing support and guidance for women at the bar.

Were there any points in your career when you felt you were at a disadvantage or at an advantage because you were female?
As mentioned at the outset, when I started in pupillage it was tough to be a woman at the commercial bar, primarily due to the perceptions of senior members of the profession and instructing solicitors.  When my children were much younger, I was at times unable to work weekends and late into the night, unlike my male colleagues. For that reason, I was aware that my male contemporaries got more of the “glamorous”/high intensity work. Initially I was disinclined overtly to push myself forward. However, as my client base grew and my practice flourished, I learned what mattered was to simply continue to “deliver” and that as long as I did that, I would retain client goodwill and my personal circumstances would not impact.  

What do you think have been the most significant changes for women in the legal industry over the past five years?
Having more female judges in the Court of Appeal and in senior positions in the judiciary; having Lady Hale in the Supreme Court and more and more talented women coming into the profession.

Filed under: Featured Barrister, 11 Stone Buildings, Chambers and Partners Women in Law, female barrister, Marcia Shekerdemian