Today marks International Women’s Day, and to commemorate this, we have asked a handful of the inspiring women who work here at Nockolds how it feels to be a woman working in law.
“It is on days like today that I reflect on the choices I made and the opportunities I have been lucky enough to seize during my career. Reading the reflections of other amazing women in the Nockolds family, I am so proud to be part of such an inspiring, caring and proficient cohort. I’m most proud of the part I may have played in helping others to thrive and succeed. Professionally I see the most skilled lawyers – leaders in the fields and I’m in awe of their professional achievements. I also see a group of women who are true to themselves – authentic, real, who learn from and support each other – whether that is in the complexities of a legal problem or tackling a challenging salsa move! What inspires me in the here and now? I value the equality and inclusivity in the profession…we have choices and that drives diversity in the profession and particularly in our leadership roles. On the flip side, I love seeing male colleagues able to play full and active parts in family life – flexible working, parental leave and heading off to support a performance or match are key for parents, not solely mothers.
I am forever grateful to those women who laid the foundations on which we now build our careers, and created the opportunity and choices available to us both professionally and personally. Celebrating International Women’s means we commemorate the contribution made by women in all walks of life and in such diverse ways in the past, in the here and now, and looking to the contributions our strong, independent and creative daughters will make in the future. Watch out the 2050’s when my daughter is seizing the day! One of the strongest, most inspirational women in my life is my Mother – as a single mum in the 70’s/80’s, her resilience, compassion and strength gave me those solid foundations and enabled me to see and then take a very different path. I’m proud of the attributes she instilled in me – compassion, perseverance (there is always an answer and if not create one!) and most of all, focusing on the bright side of life! As we approach Mother’s Day – thank you Mum!“ – Jennie Jones, Partner
“As a female employment solicitor, one of the areas that I am most passionate about is championing the rights of women at work. Whilst huge progress has been made to level the playing field between men and women in the workplace, sadly there are still many challenges that female employees face every day. I am committed to helping ensure that women overcome the obstacles they may face, whether that is discrimination on the grounds of sex or caring responsibilities, being paid less than male comparators or encountering sexual harassment at work. Fortunately for me personally, these are issues that I have never had to worry about at Nockolds. As a firm all of our staff are encouraged and supported to achieve their career aspirations, regardless of sex. In fact, perhaps unusually for a law firm, we have more women working here than men! I am extremely proud that the work I do helps to break barriers, advocate for equality and empower women in the world of law and beyond!” – Joanna Sutton, Principal Associate
“The world of law is generally known for its very stressful and challenging environment, with long hours and pressure to meet billing requirements. For women, naturally that type of job could be difficult to sustain if you have, or want to start a family, as well as keep your career going. This is where Nockolds comes into its own and breaks the stereotype. As a mother of two children under 3 years old, Nockolds have supported and empowered me to keep working full-time, managing the challenges, while giving me the flexibility and work-life balance needed to be with my family. I appreciate being part of somewhere that values you for who you are and not what you are!” Alexandra FitzRoy-Stone, Business Development Manager (Nockolds Lawyers Spain)
“Since the age of 11 I have always aspired to be a solicitor and some 30 years later I am still doing what I love and feel passionate about (residential property!). Law is hard and requires significant financial investment as well as personal commitment and sacrifices, but I have no regrets in choosing this path. There has been challenges as well as many ups and downs, when giving up would have been the most natural thing. Since I joined Nockolds over 8 years ago I have really felt my career take flight, having in recent years achieved the role of Legal Director, it continues to inspire and give me energy to get out of bed in the mornings. Due to the effort and endeavour of every single woman out there making their mark and becoming role models, the world of law is changing; I find it rewarding to see the legal field become more balanced and representative with every year that passes. My favourite thing about Nockolds is the culture and being able to be shoulder to shoulder with everyone and to be more than work colleagues who feel able to laugh as well as cry together! Most of all I see a lot of happy women and count myself as one of them!” – Karen Chui, Legal Director
“I have always wanted to go into Law and I absolutely love my job as Principal Associate at Nockolds. As my career has progressed, more and more women are being promoted to senior positions, which is inspiring and very much deserved. We have great people working at Nockolds and it has been wonderful for me to have so many women to work alongside and to have as mentors. I am now in a position where I can pass on the benefit of the support and guidance I have had, to other junior people in the firm and inspire them too. Nockolds gives everyone who wants to develop the opportunities to do so, and it is great to be part of that. It has been an honour to grow my career at Nockolds, which I’ve done whilst raising two small children – being a Lawyer and Mother is a constant juggling act but Nockolds have provided me with the flexibility to be able to do both. I absolutely love working in law and for Nockolds in particular and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else!” – Lucy Slatter, Principal Associate
“I started my career with Nockolds 18 years ago as a legal secretary. The opportunities, support and encouragement I received from the outset (special mention to Jennie Jones!) and throughout my time here at Nockolds, has allowed me to qualify as a lawyer via a non-traditional route whilst studying and working part-time and bringing up two young daughters. I am incredibly proud to have progressed to a position where I have the opportunity to support and mentor female colleagues, provide advice and support to other women in the workplace, whilst at the same time working alongside many amazing and inspirational women at Nockolds. Thank you to you all!” – Rachel Davis, Principal Associate