Sandra Wallace is UK managing partner and joint managing director for Europe and the Middle East at DLA Piper. She has held the UK leadership role since 2015, after initially making partner in the firm's Birmingham employment practice in 2001. Wallace joined DLA in 1992 as a trainee.

Here, she discusses her experience of being mentored by the firm's new senior partner Andrew Darwin, who was elected to the post last month having seen off competition from seven other contenders to secure the position in the wake of Juan Picon's exit to Latham & Watkins.

Wallace was formally mentored by Darwin for four years, with the pair meeting or speaking every two months during this period. They continue their mentoring relationship on an informal basis at times today.

What have you learnt from your mentor? Andrew Darwin supported my business case for partnership when I was pregnant and, in the same business case, proposed I return to work on a flexible basis. He advised me to reflect and observe in new roles before making radical changes. It helped me to assess priorities rather than rushing to make a name for myself.

What are the key challenges to making the mentoring relationship work effectively? Good mentors are usually very busy people, so I have tended to keep things fairly informal and kept a list of issues to discuss so as to maximise time with a mentor. There has to be a good fit to make the relationship work and sometimes formal schemes don't always result in good matches. There needs to be flexibility. Finally, time commitment can be a challenge, so it is worth creating a red amber green priority for get-togethers.

What advice do you have for those considering mentorship? Be the mentee's champion. Not just someone who listens and tries to offer wise counsel. Also be prepared to deliver difficult messages; work out what time commitment you actually have and try to stick to set meetups or calls; take the mentee with you to one event each year if possible.

What has been your career-defining moment? Accepting the UK employment group head role – despite being terrified and worried about the impact on my family. It put me in the line of sight to be considered for my current roles and it also helped me recognise my strengths and place less focus on things I didn't do so well. Too much focus on things you don't do so well often means you don't try anything new or more challenging.

Key cases you have worked on? A cross-jurisdictional whistleblowing case that included an injunction granted to prevent a national newspaper reporting details of the case. I have also worked on a large-scale cross-jurisdictional restructuring for a global aerospace company.

What would you like to see law firms do to improve gender equality in the workplace? Start conversations early with women about their potential to progress – generally, I have needed some convincing when being encouraged to take on more senior roles. Have a wide pool of candidates for promotion opportunities, not just the obvious choice candidate who can be the most vocal or demanding; talent map early and give smart objectives so that women (and indeed men) know what is expected of them.