Be bold for change International Women’s Day 2017 · within our business. Careers are very...

Be bold for changeInternational Women’s Day 2017

Be bold for change International Women’s Day 2017 1

International Women’s Day 2017 will be celebrated across the world on Wednesday 8 March. This day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

Diversity in all its forms is great for our business and helps us deliver the very best service to our clients. Whether it is individuality of thought, variety of experience or the ability to build strong and effective relationships with clients, supporting talent in all its forms is key to driving our success.

In recent years we have been championing gender diversity through various initiatives across the business. For example the Parents Network is a forum for parents to come together to help promote awareness of shared parental leave, flexible working, and technology that can support and challenge assumptions about work life balance. We’ve also focused on building our reputation in the marketplace as a firm where female lawyers are likely to succeed and grow their careers.

There is still work to do and we are committed to increasing our gender representation at partner level. We will be hosting events across our offices in celebration of International Women’s Day including career forum events that showcase inspiring women at all levels within our business.

Careers are very individual and there isn’t a one size fits all approach. To recognize the variety of choices some of our colleagues have taken at different points in their lives, we have featured some of their career journeys in this brochure. I hope you enjoy reading their stories.

Introduction

Ian Gray International Managing Partner

+44 207 919 0834 [email protected]

Introduction 01

Aysha Fernandes 02

Catherine Detalle 04

Claire Carroll 06

Lana Habash 07

Clare Ward 08

Cynthia Krus 10

Annie Lam 13

Cynthia Shoss 14

Debbie Jukes 16

Dorothy Black Franzoni 18

Elizabeth Hyde 20

Geraldine Ahern 22

Hannah Swift 23

Kate Newman 24

Kee Evans 26

Kirstin McCracken 28

María Hernandez 30

Rebecca Copley 32

Stacy Fredrich 34

Vanessa Scott 36

Veronique Marquis 38

Amy Yu 39

Victoria Pickard 40

Contents

Be bold for change International Women’s Day 2017 Be bold for change International Women’s Day 20172 3

Aysha FernandesLegal Director London

Can you give a short overview of your career to date?

I joined the firm as a trainee back in 2003 and have spent my whole career here. I have been legal director since May 2016. In that time, both the firm and my role have changed massively – in both cases, for the better!

What’s the best thing about your job?

It is hard to isolate one thing that makes my job great. The work is challenging, interesting and varied. I often get to work on high profile matters that have a real impact on people’s lives. I also do a lot of work for household brands, such as Volkswagen, Honda and Next, where I get to see how my advice has shaped their offerings.

I also work with fantastic people – many of my colleagues are good friends as well as being impressive lawyers, and many of my clients are a real pleasure to work with.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career and why?

Again, it’s hard to isolate any one person. From the friend who suggested I might want to study law at A level, to a university lecturer who got me interested in competition law, to the various managers I have had over the years. The latter include Ros Kellaway, who heads our Competition, EU and Trade practice and is a renowned expert in her field, and who has guided me since I was a very junior lawyer, and Adam Collinson, who heads our Leeds team and who has not only been an inspiring and outstanding lawyer, but whose complete faith in me has really allowed me to develop over the last few years.

Alongside these influences, I’m inspired by friends and colleagues who haven’t been afraid to reinvent themselves occasionally even if it means starting back on the bottom rung of the ladder.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Be Bold for Change’. What’s the boldest thing you’ve ever done?

Last year I decided to train as a yoga instructor so that I can teach one day a week. I felt I needed to be more than just a lawyer – I want to help people and use my skills in a different way. Yoga is my biggest passion and pastime outside of work – well, other than food where my skills are considerably more limited! – so this is the natural thing for me to do. I have received positive responses from my team and everyone I have told about this.

After a lot of searching, I have found the teacher training course I want to do and will be starting later this year. To help me prepare, I’ve been working a 9 day fortnight, meaning I have a day off every two weeks. Having this extra day to myself to do yoga, life admin tasks and lounge around in coffee shops has had such a positive impact on my life.

In hindsight is there anything you would have done differently?

I might have planned my career more actively and really taken the time to work out where I wanted to be, by when and what I needed to do in order to get there. I would then have made time to reassess this periodically to see if my motivations had changed.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

A friend of mine is a coach and helped me to really identify what motivates me and to step back from my preconceptions of what ‘success’ looks like and work out what I need to feel happy and fulfilled. The yoga plan has been borne out of this.

What’s the one piece of wisdom you’d pass on to others?

Sometimes you have to fake it a bit – act the part for a while before you grow into it! I’ve had to do this at various stages of my career and each time it has been a bit easier.

Life in a city law firm is a world apart from the small seaside town where I grew up, and though my work experience in high street law firms gave me invaluable experience, it did little to prepare me for being a trainee at a huge firm. I found the first few months very tough and was totally out of my comfort zone. It was only when I had my first appraisal after three months that I realized I was doing a pretty good job, and this was a big turning point.

Since then, I have done two client secondments, received a number of promotions, managed and coached junior colleagues and become experienced in new areas of law. Each time I’ve had to remind myself that people will only be as confident in me as I am in myself.


Catherine DetallePrincipal AssociateParis


I started as a corporate lawyer in Paris in 2005 at Debevoise & Plimpton, then I left to go to Latham & Watkins where I stayed for three years and then I joined Eversheds Sutherland as Of Counsel in the corporate team in Paris in September 2014.


The contact and relationships with clients. When a relationship becomes a long term one, and my role becomes more of a trusted advisor role rather than just a role providing legal advice, that’s really exciting and satisfying.


A female partner at a global bank (a leader in M&A). She was one of the M&A advisors to one of the main French airlines and during this time we worked together. When I had my first child we had many discussions about how to combine a career with children. She explained the difficulties she faced when she became a partner and had her first child, and how she overcame these. She gave me so much useful advice and became an inspiring role model for me and the discussions we had at that time have been really important for me.

The theme for this year’s IWD is ‘Be Bold for Change’. What’s the boldest thing you’ve ever done?

Last February I attended the IATA conference and during this event I spoke with the General Counsel of a US airline. Making the most of this networking opportunity resulted in going to Atlanta for a further meeting, which was a great experience!


I would have loved to have graduated from one of the top business schools in France in addition to law school, because it gives corporate lawyers a different perspective of the business world and the needs of our clients.


I always want to do my very best on each job so I can be proud of the piece of work I do for a client. Even if the matter is a small or minor piece of work, it has to be the best piece of work/advice I can deliver and that the client could receive.


Always be curious, eager to learn and never stop asking questions.


Claire CarrollPartnerNewcastle


I trained at a boutique City firm, Fox Williams, and stayed there for seven years post qualification (not including a sneaky break in 2001 to go traveling). I then decided that I wanted to move back to the north east of England, and joined Eversheds Sutherland in 2004. I have now been here 13 years, and became a partner in 2011.


There are lots of great things about my job – the variety, the way it stretches my brain, the satisfaction of finding a solution – but most of all the people I work with.


Probably the litigation team that I first worked with as a trainee. We had a three week trial that went disastrously wrong from day one, but we never stopped working together as a team and, even though there were some dark days during the trial, we still managed to have a laugh along the way. That influenced not just my choice to be a litigator, but also my attitude to the challenges we face on a daily basis in this job.


Leaving my job in 2000 and not taking the sabbatical that Fox Williams offered me. I was three years’ qualified, and my work/life balance was completely off kilter as I had been working ridiculously hard for a long period. Much to the horror of my parents, I left my job and went traveling with a friend in south east Asia on an open ticket and didn’t come back for 10 months. It allowed me to reassess and get some perspective back. And then happily Fox Williams asked me to go back, which taught me that things really do work out in the end.


I would have had more belief in myself at times. I think that held back my career progression.


Be yourself.


I don’t think that you can go far wrong if you treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.

Lana HabashPartnerAmman


I am a partner based in our Amman office. I am qualified in the USA and Jordan and work in corporate, commercial and M&A in the Middle East. My career has taken me to many different places – I have worked in Washington, California, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE and Jordan to date.


The ongoing challenge to come up with creative solutions to help our clients achieve their business goals.


Partner Tawfiq Tabbaa! I joined Tawfiq when I came back from the United States back in 2006 and started with him on the journey that took us from a very small practice in Amman to a regional firm with offices in Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and eventually to where we are today at Eversheds Sutherland.


Moving out of the family house, which is almost unheard of in the culture I am from, let alone for a woman. I am lucky that I took this step with my family’s full support and understanding.


I may have done my LLM at a law school on the East Coast instead of Washington State, to benefit from the proximity to the Middle East as opposed to Asia. And I would have studied for an MBA, which I might still do.


The importance of follow up! That was the one piece of advice that my mentor kept emphasizing throughout my training to become a certified lawyer – it definitely helps you stay on top of your job.


Hold yourself to your own standards!


Clare WardPrincipal AssociateNottingham


I spent the early years of my career in the north west of England. After studying at the University of Liverpool, I trained in-house at the Co-Operative Insurance Society. I knew from my second seat that I wanted to be an employment lawyer and left on qualification to join EAD Solicitors, a trade union firm in Liverpool. I stayed there for four years and gained valuable experience and insight into labor law before returning to my home city of Nottingham to join Eversheds Sutherland. I joined as an associate nearly ten years ago and have been promoted to senior associate and then principal associate a few years ago. Most of the work I do is in my favorite area of labor law.


Working with people! We work closely as a team but we also work closely with our clients, often becoming an extension of their internal teams. I can talk to numerous different people in a day about a variety of issues and work on a number of jobs at the same time, no two days are alike.


My friend Grace Birtwistle (now Lucas), without her I am not sure I would have got through my law degree!


Probably joining this firm. I had gained four years’ experience on one side of the fence when Nottingham senior office partner Mark Fletcher and partner Nicola Bennison took a “chance” on me when I had limited experience working on behalf of employers. In all honesty, it seemed a daunting place to come to. Nearly ten years on, my previous experience has proved valuable to me, Mark and Nicola have continued to support my career as I have moved through the ranks and I am lucky to call those people I feared would be “lawyer types,” friends. We work hard but there is always time for team social activities! (Most recently, dressing up as the band Kiss for the Christmas do and making a music video in Nottingham train station)!


No, I am both glad that I had a career before Eversheds Sutherland and that I made the move here!


When discussing whether I should go to a funeral over an important client meeting, partner Di Gilhooley said to me: “The last place we should be in life is looking back and regretting that we put work before something that is important to us in our private life.” Di was supporting me and reminding me of the need to have a good sense of what matters most and making decisions that were right for me, which was great advice.


Qualify into the area of law that you can see yourself in for a very long time. You can move firm, you can “jump the fence” but changing disciplines is much more difficult. Where I have seen friends move out of law is where they settled for an area of law that was not their first choice.


Cynthia KrusPartnerWashington


I knew I would work in securities since before law school. After college at Emory, I worked for two years in DC for the Washington Service Bureau, which ran a “watch” service at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing room in the pre-internet, pre-electronic filing days. We would literally sit in the filing room for investment banking clients that paid for the service to have us watch corporate filings and report to them by phone and provide copies that we would deliver by very slow facsimile. This was in the 80s – the days when the corporate filing of a Form 13(D) (indicating a 5% purchase of a publicly traded company’s stock) would drive the stock market insane. This gave me a visceral feeling for securities filings and the essential social contract of disclosing truth that protected the investing public, and the markets more in the US than in any other country.

When I went to Tulane Law School, it was natural for me to focus on corporate finance and securities regulation and to do research for professors in international securities market regulations, and to clerk for the Louisiana Appeals Court, again focusing on business and securities matters. My first position after law school was at a DC boutique law firm that took financial institutions public, which turned out to be an incredible training ground for learning the intricacies of public disclosures in securities filings and the often times fierce

contract negotiations that always drove the transactions. After seven years at the boutique firm, the opportunity to work here presented itself and I took a leap of faith in myself and came on board. My background in financial transactions built over dozens of initial public offerings, leveraged buyouts and managed buyouts, many of which were hostile, prepared me for the practice I joined, that of “publicly traded private equity.”

I began working with a significant client of the firm, the largest middle market lender in the US. The company was undergoing a five way merger of separate public entities into a single entity, a year-long highly complex transaction. Plus, the five entities were NASDAQ companies and the resulting single entity was being launched as a NYSE company, which added to the complexity. My work with the company post-merger grew from securities to essentially the private or outside general counsel on all financial and corporate matters. This relationship continued through almost a decade of financial transactions, public offerings, mergers, regulatory oversight and a year-long attack by a hedge fund that ultimately resulted in the company’s sale to another national middle market lender. Throughout my time at Eversheds Sutherland I’ve been fortunate to work with Steven Boehm, a great partner and mentor, and together we have built the premier practice in advising middle market lenders and private equity firms raising capital from the public markets.

I also became involved in firm management, first within the practice group, learning how to leverage work through associates, counsel, and other partners. I became the first female practice group leader of the US corporate practice group, which led to additional management roles. Two years ago, I was elected to the Executive Committee and last year I was elected to serve in 2017 as executive partner, supporting managing partner Mark Wasserman. I have been integrally involved in our recent combination, successfully creating Eversheds Sutherland in February 2017.

Along the way, I’ve also served as an Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University Law School where I’ve taught classes on securities and corporate governance. I am also the author and editor of the Corporate Secretary’s Answer Book, a compendium of corporate governance topics that is updated annually. These additional commitments keep me fresh and on top of best practices.


Serving as a business counselor to my clients, and having the opportunity to develop and implement strategic plans with boards of directors and management teams that know what they want is really gratifying. I’ve also been deeply involved in crisis management with a number of clients,

which is intellectually challenging and provides the opportunity to build lifelong relationships with clients once the crisis is successfully managed.

Perhaps most importantly, I really enjoy being “a closer” – helping management teams take an idea, formulate a plan, and make it happen together.


I have had the opportunity to learn from a wide variety of influences in my career. While I have not had a single mentor, I have learned different lessons from many. From my mother, I emulate her confidence, which can get me through any situation. From my professors, I was encouraged to think creatively and beyond “how a lawyer would think.” From the first partner with whom I worked, I learned a deep appreciation for the law. From one of my most significant clients, I learned how to get the job done through any adversity. And, from the partner with whom I have worked for 20 years, I have learned how to communicate effectively with clients, partners and team members. And my husband who always reminds me to enjoy the journey!



At a vulnerable point in my career, I decided to make the jump from a small comfortable boutique law firm to Sutherland where, as the only specialist in financial institution M&A and IPOs, I knew I would only be able to rely on myself. This change was a lot like the 50-meter bungee jump leap I took off the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge in southern New Zealand. But the risk to join and work with my partner Steve Boehm, was worth it. With his complementary experience in investment company act law, together we have built a team of 25-attorney strong $20+ million sustainable practice. I am most proud of the fact that we built the practice from the ground up, one client relationship at a time, to become a nationally recognized practice today.


Nothing. I saw a quote that I liked that said: Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. I think that you learn from all your experiences and so I value all of them.


Step up and swing at the ball. In other words, say yes – if you are up for the challenge you are rewarded. Further to this, be flexible and be prepared to reinvent yourself throughout your career. I have rebuilt my book of business three times over my career as a result of clients getting sold or merged out of existence. So, I always built my clientele every year as if I was starting from scratch, almost as if I was a stock broker starting from zero every month. This takes confidence in myself, diligence in the daily grind, and knowing that I am flying without a net. Through it all, I live by a work hard and play harder motto.


Someone once told me I was too creative to be a lawyer, a sentiment I disagree with entirely. I believe creativity allows you to understand the reasons behind matters, and allows you to communicate with clients so that they hear you, so you can address crisis situations effectively and look at things from a different perspective. Creativity also allows you to know yourself, and be yourself, which strengthens your confidence. This is what clients value in a lawyer and an advisor. And creativity will allow you to build your career – many times over if necessary. Be creative!

Cynthia Krus (continued) Annie LamConsultantHong Kong


I am both Hong Kong and English law qualified with over 13 years of experience in banking and finance. I am also a qualified mediator of the Hong Kong Law Society, Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association Limited and Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (non-practising). I have abundant experience on payment instruments (eg letter of credit, guarantee, promissory note), structured or synthetic trade finance transactions, cross-border finance, factoring (including reverse factoring, supply chain etc), true sale and receivables finance (on or off balance sheet), bilateral and syndicated loans, participation/sub-participation, property finance, asset based finance, bank payment obligations and security taking in overseas jurisdictions. I graduated from the University of Hong Kong and have also completed a PRC law degree at Tsing Hua University.


Work life balance, flexibility and lots of team lunches! I like the team spirit of my department – all things are open to discussion.


My previous supervising partner and the existing supervising partner. My previous supervising partner invited me to qualify in banking (otherwise I may have become a litigator!) and my existing supervising partner has offered essential advice and support to me at critical points in my career.


Leaving my previous firm to join Eversheds Sutherland in 2009.


I would have spent more time developing my price negotiation, networking and business development skills in the first few years of my career.


Attitude is more important than ability – ability comes with the right attitude.


You can be old but not mature.


Cynthia ShossPartnerNew York


I graduated from Tulane Law School and received an LLM in Tax Law from New York University School of Law. I clerked for the Louisiana Supreme Court for two years – one year with the most liberal judge and then one year with the Chief Justice, who was the most conservative! I was an associate at law firms in New Orleans, St. Louis and New York, ultimately making partner at LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae in New York, then served from 1987-89 as managing partner of the LeBoeuf London office in the Lloyd’s Building, where I went into labor with my daughter. After ten years as a tax lawyer (four as a tax partner), I moved to insurance regulatory work in 1990, and co-chaired the Insurance practice at Dewey & LeBoeuf, then at Eversheds Sutherland. My practice includes general advisory work, compliance, drafting legislation, transactions and some products, with a particular focus on transformative transactions such as demutualizations, M&A, and complex restructurings. I have represented many insurers, mostly in the life sector but also property casualty, as well as regulators, attorney generals, investment bankers and large corporate purchasers of insurance products such as in pension risk transfers.


The people with whom I have been privileged to work – alongside and opposite. Becoming a trusted advisor to wonderful clients. The challenges and the problem solving. Taking on some leadership roles. Plus… I am a word geek so to this day I love to draft and revise, to try to make the words on a page sing. Also, as I grow older, I appreciate that ours is a profession in which clients and colleagues value experience and the wisdom that results from lessons learned.


My principal mentor at LeBoeuf, Donald Greene, kept us all focused on client service long before it became a consultants’ mantra. He was the ultimate trusted advisor to clients, so a perfect aspirational role model for that. He was also responsible for my switch from tax to insurance, which turned out to be a very important career move for me. At my first firm, Stone Pigman in New Orleans, David Stone taught us to take the practice of law and our clients very seriously, but not ourselves, and how to wield a steel fist in a velvet glove, often through the low-key use of humor to bring down the level of tension in a room full of lawyers. Also some credit is due to my daughter because being her working mother certainly required me to hone my multi-tasking and list-making skills and to become more efficient.


Moving from a mid-sized Midwestern firm to New York City to try to swim in the biggest legal pond in the country was pretty bold, but it didn’t lead to change for anyone but me! Otherwise, I think that, as for many (though certainly not all as there have been some real heroines) in my generation of women lawyers, my career has been characterized by a series of small steps I consider to have been a little bold rather than a single boldest thing. And I hope that in moving forward through that series of small bold steps I have helped to pave the way, as bolder women than I did before me, for women coming up behind me. I am also proud of having raised a daughter who is much bolder than I am – she taught high school boys imprisoned in a secure detention facility in the south Bronx for violent crimes for two years and is now focused on juvenile justice reform.


Of course there are things I would have done differently in my career and in my life, but no single big thing comes to mind. And some of them turned out fine in the end – for example, I wish I could somehow have avoided practicing law at a firm that collapsed, but if that had not happened I probably would not have found my way to where I am today at Eversheds Sutherland.


Never forget that ours is a service profession – it is all about serving our clients with the greatest care, loyalty, diligence and humility.


Be the CEO of your career from day one: be intentional, set goals and prioritize, think opportunistically and strategically, and go for it! Be willing to take risks, and don’t let failures, whether your own or those of others that affect you, de-rail you.


Debbie JukesGeneral CounselLeeds


I joined Eversheds Sutherland in 1988, as a transferee trainee from a small firm and finished my training contract in the corporate team in Leeds. I was a M&A transactional lawyer for about six years when I moved into the newly formed commercial department. I became a partner in 1998 when pregnant with my first child and eventually ran the commercial teams across Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle. I have three teenage children and started working flexibly in 1999, working four days a week and still do so. I was one of the first partners to work flexibly and I was the first partner to be promoted to equity on a part time basis.

In 2008, I took on a non-fee-earning role becoming the head of risk and quality for the company commercial practice group. In this role I managed the PSL team and was responsible for all legal training, precedents and legal know-how for the practice group, as well as all risk and quality initiatives. In 2011 I took on the head of knowledge role as well, managing our central library, research and Insite teams and being responsible for all the books and resources we buy.

From 1 February this year I moved into the General Counsel role for the firm, as part of which I run the combined risk and knowledge team.


It is being able to leave a legacy. When I look back and think about projects I have led that will really make a difference and positively impact a lawyer’s life for years to come, I feel proud to have been able to create that change.


Jonathan Guest, one of our partners who retired recently. He always provided such great support to me, whilst I was pregnant and going for partnership and when I was part time and looking for EP promotion. He gave me confidence and belief in what I was doing, fought my corner and supported me in everything I did. He was challenging and inspiring to me in equal measure! He was great with clients and taught me the value of building great relationships and how important they would be in my career.


There are a two steps that spring to mind. I was seconded for eight months as the head of legal at UKAR, which owns Bradford & Bingley and part of Northern Rock. The job specification said that I needed extensive Financial Services Authority (FSA), consumer credit and mortgage regulatory experience and considerable in-house experience. I had none of these. I learnt that the skills I had learnt in my risk and knowledge roles, of getting to the bottom of an issue quickly, of managing a team, of influencing and persuading people were more important than the lack of this technical experience.

The other bold step I took was leaving my transactional partner role to take on the risk and knowledge role, seen by many as a backwards step. I loved deals and I loved client work but I needed a change. I do feel more natural in the role I am doing now and have enjoyed it massively, so it was the right move for me.


I’m not a great one for looking back so, no. You need to make a decision and move on.


I think the best piece of advice I’ve been given in recent years was from a previous head of HR. I am really passionate about being a great manager, so if someone decides they want to move onto another job, I do take it hard. He taught me that it is far better to provide opportunities, development and encouragement for your team, and if someone decides that their next career choice is elsewhere, you should accept it. As a great manager you need to allow people to fly. You may have provided them with the experience that enables them to get their next job, they may never have got that opportunity without you. That’s a great way to look at career development.


This was from a friend of mine, who is now a partner at a peer firm, when my children were quite young. She advised me not to worry about whether my childcare was right for the next six years, just focus on what’s right for the next three months. Everything changes so quickly, both for you and in the business, so just make sure you’ve made the right decision at the time.



I would have started very early on to develop knowledge and expertise in areas that were complementary to the practices that were already thriving at the firm, and to build my network.


Learn to meditate.


Having a successful law practice requires perseverance – there will be many times when you can’t see where the future is or how to take the next step. Ask for advice, and then take the next best step you can identify.

Dorothy Black FranzoniPartner, Atlanta


My first year out of law school I clerked for a US federal appellate court judge – a terrific experience I would not trade for anything. From the end of that clerkship until now I have been in private practice, working mostly in the US electric industry. I started work in the Atlanta office of another large firm. In my third year the attorneys I was working most with moved to the formerly named Sutherland – and thankfully asked me to join them! In the early years most of my work was on electric utility commercial transactions and financings, including public market bonds (and one of the earliest interest rate swaps AIG did), federal government loans, sale-leaseback transactions, asset acquisitions and joint ownership of large electric power plants. I also represented lenders in a variety of secured and unsecured financings. For a three year period after my son was born, I worked on a reduced hours (75%) basis, and then returned to practicing full time. In 2005 I began to focus on the growing US renewable energy industry, and since then have expanded my practice to include renewable energy project development and M&A.


I get to work with smart, energetic, creative attorneys and staff and clients on interesting and challenging issues.


The partners I worked with as a young attorney put a lot of effort into teaching me about the importance of good client service and that it requires much more than just getting the right answer.


Soon after I became chair of the board of a homeless shelter, the executive director quit and we discovered that the bookkeeper had been embezzling and the organization was on the verge of bankruptcy. I had never faced a situation like that – but because I was the chair, the board looked to me for leadership. Thankfully we had a terrific group of board members who had good ideas and access to more funding sources, and the organization survived. Along the way, I made all sorts of decisions without knowing if they were right or wrong, but things needed to get done, and everyone needed a sense of direction, so I gave it my best shot.


Elizabeth HydeSenior AssociateLeeds


I joined Eversheds Sutherland in 2003 as a trainee solicitor and qualified in 2005 in the contentious Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) team. As a trainee, I spent time on secondment at Asda’s head office in Leeds, which was a fantastic experience. I was promoted to senior associate in May 2010.

Predominantly, my role involves defending organizations being investigated and prosecuted for serious health and safety breaches, food safety offences, product safety compliance breaches and environmental offences. I also provide compliance and risk management advice. The majority of my work is with food and retail, leisure and manufacturing sector clients.


I enjoy so many aspects of my job. One of the highlights is being able to guide and support clients through criminal investigations being conducted by regulators such as the UK Health and Safety Executive, police and/or local authorities. Investing time and effort during the investigative phase immediately following an incident can often maximize the chance that a prosecution can be avoided; achieving such results can be hugely rewarding. When investigating each new incident I very much enjoy meeting a wide range of new people – one minute I can be taking witness statements from operatives on the shop floor and the next I am presenting to the Board.


A large number of individuals, including family members, friends and colleagues have had a big influence on my career over the years and so it is really difficult to select one in particular. Within Eversheds Sutherland there are so many partners who act as inspiring role models – I work with an incredible array of talented and hardworking lawyers who are absolutely committed to providing a first class service to clients.


In 2013 I took a career break from work to spend time with my two young children. At the time, it felt like a very bold move to put my career on hold. Having now been back at the firm for 18 months, and considering the support I have received upon my return, others considering taking a career break should feel comfortable about it knowing that the firm will support them.

The firm and the partners within my team have been absolutely tremendous in accommodating the flexibility that I have needed.


No, there is nothing that I would have done differently.


My father’s advice of: “problems are simply solutions in disguise” has always stood me in good stead.


Seize every opportunity and step out of your comfort zone.


Geraldine AhernPartnerAbu Dhabi


My whole career has been with Eversheds Sutherland (I was recruited whilst at university). I have had the wonderful experience of working in three different offices: Birmingham (training contract), Nottingham (upon qualification into IT team) and Abu Dhabi (having moved here with three others to set the office up in 2008).

I am currently a partner in our Abu Dhabi office.


The exciting opportunities that it offers. Through my job I have come across some fascinating people and I’ve had the experience of living and working within a very young country (the UAE has just turned 45) that changes at a remarkable pace.

There are new experiences cropping up all the time, for example, next month I will be traveling to Saudi Arabia for the first time. I also enjoy some wonderful relationships with my teammates and colleagues.


Interestingly it is people that I have got on with least. Largely because they have propelled me to make changes or alter my course. It has avoided me falling into the trap of stagnation.


When I applied for the role in Abu Dhabi and got it, everyone told me how brave I was. I didn’t think I was brave… until I arrived! At the airport, it hit me that I had left my family, friends, home and everything I was familiar with and I was alone in a foreign country. However, none of that compares to the terror of having to begin advising clients on an entirely new legal jurisdiction without any training, books or anyone to ask.


No because each twist and turn (including those that seemed wrong at the time) is part of the rich tapestry of life and I’m very happy with how my career has evolved.


Whilst growing up, my dad told me that I can be anything I want to be and do anything I want to do. I still hold that with me now.


My wonderful husband has often challenged my moments of career self-doubt by asking, how would your male colleagues think about/deal with it? I have found that asking myself that question can be remarkably useful.

Hannah SwiftConsultantHong Kong


When I was a student I worked in bars to pay off my overdraft. I then lived in Australia for six months before I started my training contract and worked in an Irish pub and a bank. I joined Eversheds Sutherland in January 2004 as a trainee and have been here ever since in the employment team. I have undertaken client secondments at Asda and Barclays, and for the last two years have been based in our Hong Kong office helping to build up our Asia employment team.


I love the challenge of using different skills. I can advise on a complex legal issue, present a seminar to a room full of clients and negotiate a settlement all on one day. More recently, I have been leading on LGBTI diversity in the Hong Kong office – arranging events, reviewing policies and being an advocate for discrimination protection.


My career advisor at school when I was 14 years old told me that there were too many law graduates and not enough jobs so I should think about trying something else; I have never looked back…


Probably moving to Hong Kong! It was scary because there was no employment team here when I started, and going from a busy Leeds team to working on my own in an unfamiliar country (with completely different law!) was a challenge. It has been an amazing opportunity and I am now Hong Kong qualified. I am really proud that my husband and I took the chance and we have absolutely no regrets.


I wish I had learned to play an instrument when I was younger. I got a bit stuck with the recorder and never persevered. I think it’s important to have some creative hobbies as a contrast to work!


“Perception is reality.” When you are given feedback – it doesn’t matter whether you agree, it matters how the other person feels. Recognizing that and working on it makes your life much easier!


“Different strokes for different folks” which I heard Prince say in an interview. You can’t please everyone all the time, so be tolerant of others, celebrate difference, and be authentic to yourself.


Kate NewmanPartnerLeeds


I entered law through a fairly traditional path. After university I went to do the legal practice course (LPC) and completed my training contract at Slaughter and May, during which I had a six month seat in Paris. I qualified into the competition team and stayed there as an associate for 18 months, when I decided I needed to have a change. I had really enjoyed working in Paris and felt it would be a great opportunity to have exposure working overseas in a different legal system. Australia seemed to be the best fit and within a week of making the decision, I applied for a job and got it! Three months later, I was setting off for Sydney where I worked for seven years. I returned to the UK in 2008 and came to work at Eversheds Sutherland in the competition team in Leeds.

After I became a partner, I took a three month sabbatical to enable me to spend some time with the family at an important time in my twin daughters’ school life. I would highly recommend it to anyone.


I love the intellectual challenge. I never know what might come across my desk on any day. I work with a truly fantastic bunch of people and there is a great collegiate atmosphere. I also really appreciate that individuals are given a great deal of autonomy to get on with their role.


It’s hard to single out one individual. Every supervisor I have worked with, from being a trainee to a NQ, to my time in Sydney, to working with Adam Collinson in Leeds, has influenced me in some way. So I have probably taken something from everybody.


Going to Australia without a doubt. It happened within such a short space of time and I only knew two people in Sydney. It was a bold move but I felt that it was instinctively the right course to take and I’m glad I trusted my instincts.


Although I really enjoyed my law degree, had I known then what I know now, I probably would have given more thought to the possibility of a non-law degree. I’ve seen colleagues come into the legal profession who have done that and who have brought along some different perspectives which I think are useful. A friend did a natural sciences degree, a PhD and then was in a research position for a while before qualifying to be a lawyer. Her experience as an intellectual property (IP) lawyer has undoubtedly been influenced by her scientific background.

I would have liked to have studied French at university, so maybe I will go on to study French in the future! It is great to have skills in a different language.


It was from one of my supervisors, who said: “never write down in a document anything that you don’t understand and can’t explain yourself”. A terrific piece of advice.


The sabbatical was a wonderful time – that time with my daughters was irreplaceable. In terms of what we do and the firm we work in, we have fantastic people around us, so my advice to anyone thinking about pressing the pause button would be, don’t worry – my experience was that colleagues and clients were hugely supportive about making the sabbatical work. There are times in life when it is absolutely fine to step aside for something which is important and it’s easier than you might think to step back in. Now is a fantastic time to be a female in the legal industry, as there does seem to be a much greater acceptance that career paths can take many different shapes and forms.

My second piece of wisdom is, never underestimate the power of your networks. It is the networks and relationships you develop over time, starting from when you are a junior lawyer, that really pay dividends and that provide support throughout your career.


Kee EvansSenior AssociateCardiff


I began my career with a management training scheme for HMV, followed by a sales operations role for a greeting card publisher. Neither role had anything to do with law but they did provide an excellent background in recruitment, team building, operating budgets and the importance of good client relations. I undertook a law conversion course and studied for my legal practice course (LPC) in the evenings so that I could continue working during the day. I completed my training contract with Clifford Chance before moving back home to Wales and taking up my post in the planning, infrastructure and consenting team at Eversheds Sutherland. I became a senior associate in 2014 and I now manage the Cardiff planning team.


I love the fact that it changes constantly. This means there is always something new to learn and no two days are ever the same. This variety keeps things interesting.


This would have to be a friend from university who had started working in our Birmingham office. She kept telling me that I should think about a career in law.


In career terms I would say presenting at a planning conference in front of 200 people including numerous clients, industry experts and MPs, and participating in a Q&A session. On a personal level it would be agreeing to take the lead role in and performing Die Dreigroschenoper (the Threepenny Opera) without any ability to hold a tune.


The only thing I wonder about is whether I could have begun my legal career earlier, but I feel that the initial experience of working in other areas has been a benefit and the timing allowed a number of other things to happen, so on balance I don’t think I would change anything.


My nan always said that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing well and this has always stayed with me. I find it helps when I am faced with a new challenge or task.


I would say that you shouldn’t settle for things you are not comfortable or happy with. If you don’t like something, you should change it.


Kirstin McCrackenConsultantHong Kong


I started out as a trainee solicitor at Dundas & Wilson (now CMS) in Scotland. My first seat was IP/IT and when none of my later seats matched up to the first one, I applied to qualify into that department. As an NQ I went on secondment for 11 months to Clydesdale Bank in Glasgow, working in their commercial contracts and projects team. My next move was to DLA Piper where I spent a few years working in their growing IT & outsourcing practice, working on a number of significant outsourcing projects both in Scotland and London. In 2012, I was ready to leave Scotland and work abroad and I moved to Hong Kong to start with Eversheds Sutherland in January 2013. Since joining as an associate, I have been promoted to senior associate and then principal associate in the Commercial team and have handled a broad range of matters which fall into commercial including data privacy, e-commerce and product labeling advice, as well as some interesting IT projects in Hong Kong and the Middle East and a number of multi-jurisdictional advisory projects.


The variety of the work. It can be difficult to cover such a broad area at times but equally, I really enjoy getting to work on so many different matters for so many different types of clients – no two days are ever the same which means I am always learning and rarely bored!


My first trainee supervisor, who did not hold back on the constructive criticism at my first three month review! I fully credit the training and feedback which I received as a trainee as being instrumental in ensuring that I become as good a lawyer as I could possibly be.


I am going to say quitting my job and moving to Hong Kong! It was a difficult decision to give up my apartment, my job, my hard-earned client contacts and my prospects for promotion and leave my family and friends behind to move across the world, but one that I have not regretted.


I wish that I had started learning to speak Mandarin on my first day in Hong Kong and kept it up consistently. Not being able to speak a foreign language is one of my regrets, particularly as I have started to learn French, German and Cantonese at various stages in life but don’t seem to be able to stick to any one of them.


Don’t let perfect get in the way of good. This has to be applied with caution as a lawyer but it can be a useful principle to bear in mind when juggling priorities and looming deadlines.


To learn as much as you can from everyone that you can. This is particularly true while you are still more junior in your career but is something that you should continue to bear in mind as your career progresses. Even if you have no interest in a future in a particular department or find a particular colleague or client difficult or frustrating to deal with, there is always something to be learnt from that experience which will help you in the future.


María HernandezPartnerMadrid


I spent 18 years as in-house counsel managing legal & compliance departments of North American multinationals in the telecom and industrial sectors before moving to private practice two years ago to grow the compliance department within the firm. My career has always had a very strong international component and I currently chair the compliance committee of the Latam Alliance. I also preside over the compliance chapter of the Madrid Bar Association and I am vice president of the Spanish Association of Compliance Professionals. I’m also academic director of the Global Corporate Compliance LLM at IE Law School in collaboration with NYU. I am heavily involved in initiatives to foster gender equality and, as such I have had the honor to be appointed member of the Committee of Women Leaders of the Americas, an initiative of the Organisation of American States (OAS) whose mission is to contribute to the improvement of the capabilities and skills of current and future political women in all areas of society, with the aim of building an inclusive and representative democracy.


The people I work with and the possibility to explore different industries.


Many different people both in my personal life and within the work environment. It wouldn’t be fair to highlight just one! That said, it has always been people with a strong component of interpersonal skills and behavior and people who walk their talk.


I have always embraced change. Stepping out of my comfort zone has proven to be challenging but a wise move in order to advance in my career. I’ve changed countries of residence (and work) quite a few times, I’ve learned four languages, I’ve moved from in-house to private practice, I took a sabbatical year to work on NGO projects and I’ve embraced moving into the academic space…


Truly, I don’t think so.


Never be afraid to jump into a challenge. And ever since I heard this piece of advice I think I have embraced it.


Respect comes first. It defines who you are and how you see and believe in others.


Rebecca CopleyPartnerDubai


Move to Japan back in 1996, fresh out of university. Imagine it now; moving to a country unable to speak a word of the language, knowing no one and before the time of google translate, emails, social media, Uber, smart phones, Skype and not a penny to my name! Just a little phrase book I picked up at the airport and a hand drawn map of the local area. I’m not sure I’ll ever beat that.


Spent less time worrying about what might happen and more time focusing on what I wanted to happen.


Work hard, believe in yourself and be a good person. The rest will take care of itself.


Preparation is key for confidence, but don’t agonize over every detail and don’t worry about those people who appear to know everything. You know more than you think and probably far more than them.


After spending a year in Japan, working as an English teacher in a local high school, I began my training contract with Nottingham based firm Browne Jacobson. On qualification I then moved to Eversheds Sutherland, joining Ian’s Gray’s litigation team in Nottingham. After years spent doing a real mixed bag of work including commercial litigation and professional regulatory investigations for the General Medical Council, I became a member of the FSDI group in May 2008, along with 20 other lawyers who naively wondered whether we were going to generate enough work between us to justify our own product group.


I’m always learning. Whether it’s new laws in new jurisdictions, new rules and regulations being issued by regulators or new financial problems facing clients, no day is ever the same and I get the opportunity to make a real difference, for the better. I can help clients stay on the right side of the regulators, control costs, do the right thing by their customers and fix problems. Within Eversheds Sutherland I like to think that I help people fulfill their potential, giving them the confidence to push through their comfort zones, be the best that they can be and then help others around them.


For some reason, my influences can be found in the Midlands in the UK, where since the very start of my career a group of people have continually challenged me, each in their own distinctive way, but in a way that has made me feel like they’re on my side, wanting me to do well. They have been great role models to me, technically excellent in all that they do with an unfailing commitment to quality and client service and always championing their team members. Without their positivity, confidence and support, there’s no doubt that I would not be where am I today. These include Ian Gray, Paul Worth, Chris Busby, Matthew Allen, Richard Ward and Ben Bruton – not just great lawyers, but great people too, each with an equally important passion for a good team social!


Stacy FredrichAssociateAtlanta


I am a senior associate in the Intellectual Property (IP) group. My practice focuses on obtaining worldwide patent protection for inventions and counseling clients on issues pertaining to patent enforcement, freedom-to-operate, and business transactions involving IP. I am a chemical engineer by background and I work with clients in the medical device, packaging, consumer products, energy, and chemical processing industries. My clients range from start-ups to large corporations.

I started as a summer associate at the firm in 2009 and joined as an associate after graduation. As a junior associate, I focused on developing my legal skills and building a reputation among the partners on my team as a reliable and thoughtful associate. As I progressed, I expanded my focus to include relationship building within and outside the firm, and with clients, potential clients, and colleagues. More recently, I’ve been exposed to the business aspects of our practice, helping to manage client relationships and billing.

I am involved in a number of activities throughout Eversheds Sutherland, including our Hiring Committee, the Atlanta Associates Committee, and our unique Women Stepping Up philanthropic organization. Outside of work, I am the co-chair of the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network’s Board of Directors and an alumnus of the Leadership Buckhead leadership program.


I love the blend of technology and advocacy that intellectual property law presents. We work with exceptionally smart inventors and see cutting-edge technologies every day. Helping my clients protect their innovations in a way that translates to success in the market is very rewarding.


Pete Pappas and Kevin King (both partners in the IP group) have had the biggest influence on my career. They hired and trained me and now act as my role models, mentors, and advocates within the firm. Pete and Kevin genuinely care about my success and aspirations and provide a sounding board for my ideas. However, I didn’t develop my relationship with these partners overnight. As a new associate in the IP group, they were my first clients. I spent years demonstrating my judgment and delivering solid work product, to build the mutual trust and support we now share.


As the leader of Atlanta’s Associates Committee, I set out to improve the programming we offered associates, to better align our offerings with the firm’s guidelines for advancement. With the help of our business development team, I planned our first Emerging Leaders networking event, at which associates hosted their in-house peers (clients and potential clients) at a social outing. While it might seem straightforward, this type of event focused on bringing mid and early career lawyers together without their partners and senior in-house colleagues, which was a shift from traditional networking events and generated some early resistance. However, our associates and their in-house peers loved the concept and our first event was a success. The event has been replicated in other offices and practice groups and the firm is a finalist for a legal marketing association award for this concept.


Of course there are things I would have done differently in hindsight. One theme is asking more questions and speaking up more in my junior years. As a senior associate, I now realize that junior attorneys are not expected to know the minutiae of every project they are assigned and asking questions is a critical part of the training process.


The path to partnership is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Lawyers with distinct personalities and skills can be equally successful in our practice. The key is to identify your personal strengths and leverage them to achieve your goals. You don’t have to force yourself to be someone you are not to find success. For example, I prefer small group or one-on-one networking settings and enjoy making useful connections and introductions between my contacts. I developed a Women in Intellectual Property dinner series where I host small groups of in-house women IP attorneys to introduce them to each other and develop relationships in an intimate setting. For my personality and strengths, this is a far more productive way to develop business relationships than working a large conference.


Especially for junior attorneys, I would say get involved. Being a great lawyer who hits her hours will only take you so far. Developing relationships inside and outside the firm is essential for success at the firm. Don’t wait until you’re a senior associate or partner to develop a personal business development plan. Some ideas would be to go to more summer associate events, take a colleague in another practice group to lunch, join a non-profit board, or attend a conference in a client’s industry.


Vanessa ScottPartnerWashington


I have spent most of my career at law firms, except for a brief foray into the policy world. I began my career with a law firm in Birmingham Alabama, then I joined a friend’s long-shot Congressional campaign as a fourth-year associate. When he was elected to the House of Representatives, I joined his Washington, DC congressional staff as tax counsel and then I went on to become a federal lobbyist with an organization focused on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) policy issues. While I found the policy world fascinating, I really missed advising clients, and after about five years I joined Eversheds Sutherland in Washington, DC. That was in 2006, and I have been here ever since.


It is definitely a tie between the people that I work with and the clients that I work for. Both are smart and deeply invested in what they do and who they’re doing it for. Both are committed to constantly learning and growing, but at the same time enjoying what they are doing. It’s a unique alchemy that makes each day new and interesting.


The best career lessons are also life lessons, and so my first and best career lessons started with my mother, who has built a phenomenal career in her own right. I have also had wonderful sponsors and mentors throughout my legal career, both male and female, but my female mentors have really set very high professional standards for me. The first partner that I ever worked for was named Gaile P. Gratton. She was the first African-American woman to be elected to partner at a law firm in Birmingham Alabama. She was a graduate of Spelman College and Harvard Law School, and I modelled everything that I did – from the way that I dressed to my writing style – after her. I still reach back to some of her sage advice from my years as a junior associate to this day. At different stages of my career, different women have played significant roles in my career. As a lobbyist, Janice Gregory was my mentor and my role model. She was one of the sharpest and most adept policy advocates that I’d ever met. When I came to Eversheds Sutherland, I was in awe of Carol Weiser and her encyclopedic knowledge of ERISA. I knew that I couldn’t go wrong if I tried to model my career after hers. Even at this stage in my career, I keep meeting women like these who still influence me in so many positive ways.


By far, the boldest thing that I’ve done is leave my Birmingham law firm in my fourth year with a three-month-old child, take an 80% pay cut, and move to Washington DC to follow my dream of becoming a policy maker. Looking back, I’m extremely glad that I did it, because it eventually brought me to Eversheds Sutherland. However, I am also glad that I did it then, because I was too young to fully appreciate the magnitude of the risks.


No, honestly, I don’t think so.


“Never leave it to the judges.” It’s actually not a legal reference, but a boxing reference. It means, never put yourself in a position where someone’s subjective determination can control your fate. Leave no room for doubt.


I do not think that I am quite at the stage in my career where I feel qualified to pass along wisdom. Advice, certainly – I have plenty of that! But wisdom requires the ability to be both knowledgeable and reflective, and I still need a few more years of experience before I can reflect on my career in a way that qualifies me to impart real wisdom.


Veronique MarquisPartnerHong Kong

Amy YuConsultantHong Kong


I started as a commercial litigator in Canada, before moving to London and working in financial litigation. I joined our London office in 2012. In 2016 I relocated to Hong Kong where I lead our financial disputes and investigations practice for Asia.


Working with great people.


Andrew Legg in our London office. He embodies everything a trusted advisor should be: thorough, thoughtful, astute, fair.


Leaving my first firm in Canada to move to London, after I fell for a handsome Brit I met at Cairo airport. I’m not usually a risk taker.


When I first relocated to London I spent many years at a firm that didn’t suit me. In hindsight I should have moved on sooner.


Always wear comfortable shoes.


Fear of failure and self-doubt can be paralyzing, but we are more resilient than we think. The world very rarely stops turning.


I graduated from The University of Hong Kong LLB, and started as a trainee in a local firm in Hong Kong. I have subsequently worked in two other US law firms before joining here as a consultant in Hong Kong in 2015.


The vast variety of people – clients and professional parties that I get to know. Some of them have eventually become good friends of mine.


It would have to be my husband. He encouraged me to choose law as my major when I could not make up my mind as to what to study in university. In the very early days he saw I had the potential. After I became an extremely busy corporate lawyer, he was and still is very supportive of my career choice and has rarely complained about my work-life-not-quite-balanced kind of lifestyle.


Probably the choice of moving from a local law firm to a very challenging US law firm as a second year associate. I was explicitly told that life could be very hard and the culture could be very different from what I had become rather used to. But I decided I was ready for the challenge anyway. Looking back, I have never regretted the choice.


I would have started building my business development skills earlier in my career.


Don’t just run the deal, push the papers. Look at the big picture.


Stay true to your heart.


Victoria PickardSenior Management ConsultantLondon

Can y give a short overview of your career to date?

My career has been quite varied. After graduating, I spent a short stint working abroad and then worked for a financial publishing company managing events and conferences. I then worked in the charity sector managing a graduate training programme and finally spent three years working for a large, government-funded project in the vocational education sector, before joining Eversheds Sutherland Consulting in 2012. I was brought in to provide project management expertise, but because we were such as small team, I had a client-facing role right from the start and have grown into the role of a management consultant, as my skills, knowledge and experience have increased.


The best thing is the sheer amount of variety in the work I do. In one week, I can be interviewing senior executives about their experience of working with their in-house team, analyzing data we have gathered on how a legal team works, writing a legal process manual for a newly-appointed General Counsel, or project managing the implementation of a legal technology solution. I have had the opportunity to work with companies big and small, in the UK and internationally. I find our input is nearly always positively received because we provide a service many in-house teams need within the familiar environment of a law firm.


My manager in my previous role was a brilliant role model. She had confidence in me from the outset and provided the perfect balance of encouragement and direction. She helped me realize where my skills lay and that they are valuable skills that not everyone possesses. She was a mentor, as well as a great manager, and she became a good friend. Without her encouragement and guidance, I probably wouldn’t have had the confidence to come and work for an organization like Eversheds Sutherland or jump head first into an external-facing role. Working with her was a real catalyst in my career.


It sounds a bit of a cliché, but probably the boldest thing I’ve done is have a family. I have a two year daughter, who is both a joy and a challenge in equal measure! It’s been a life-changing experience in many ways, but one of the most surprising things is the way it has affected my attitude to work. I value my work more than ever and have more motivation and more passion and more desire to do a great job for my team and my clients than I think I ever did before. At the same time, I’m able to keep work in perspective because when I leave at the end of the day I have another, equally important role. Life as a working mother has been an incredibly positive experience for me and I feel very fortunate to work for an organization that has enabled that.


I wish I had discovered a little earlier on what I was really good at and passionate about, so that I could have pursued it more purposefully. Having said that, all my roles and experiences have shaped who I am today, so I don’t regret any of them.


Someone once told me that when I disagreed with someone it was very obvious, because it was written all over my face, and that wasn’t always the most helpful thing in a work environment! Interestingly, in responding to that, I have found that having a more positive facial expression can actually change my attitude to that person. I’ve been able to step more easily into their shoes and approach difficult situations with a desire to find common ground. My career has definitely benefited as a result!


When it comes to working with people, start from a position of trusting them. Work is rarely about the technical skills and knowledge you have; it’s about people and how you respond to them. And you seldom come across someone with poor intentions and if you approach people with positivity and generosity, you’ll almost always receive the same in return.

eversheds-sutherland.comEversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is part of a global legal practice, operating through various separate and distinct legal entities, under Eversheds Sutherland. For a full description of the structure and a list of offices, please visit www.eversheds-sutherland.com.

ECEN.003 02/17

Be bold for change International Women’s Day 2017 · within our business. Careers are very...

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Transcript of Be bold for change International Women’s Day 2017 · within our business. Careers are very...