Working in a man's world, role models and facing up to bullying
Top female M&A lawyers' experiences of making it in a man's world, the importance of role models in the social mobility battle and the truth about bullying - the highlights on Legal Week this week
June 22, 2015 at 10:09 AM
2 minute read
For all the focus on issues affecting those working at law firms in recent years, attention has tended to shy away from personal experiences. Last week we took a step towards rectifying this by speaking to some well-known female corporate partners about their tips and experiences of working in a man's world.
Highlighting everything from the loneliness that comes with seeing many of your female colleagues leave and never return, to the need for firms to look beyond flexible working and realise that many women want to stay in the office, the feature was one of our best-read articles of the week.
Meanwhile, our opinion piece looked at why firms need to have strong female role models within their ranks to aid their attempts to retain women.
Diversity was also on the agenda elsewhere when a host of law firms came under fire – arguably unfairly based on the sample size – by a government-backed report into social mobility.
The thorny issue of workplace bullying, a problem not widely acknowledged by law firms, kindled debate, with more than half of the respondents to a recent survey claiming they had been bulliued at some stage in their career.
Elsewhere, news emerged that Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is planning to open two more support service centres in Asia and the US to add to its forthcoming Manchester launch.
Other news you may have missed:
- Slaughters senior partner Chris Saul to retire next year
- Thirteen partners exit Olswang in Germany
- Allen & Overy kicks off review of junior lawyer pay
- Co-op Bank to set up inaugural legal panel as it looks to trim roster
- Watson Farley & Williams' revenue hits £125m
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