As the 10-year anniversary of the merger between the U.K.’s Herbert Smith and Australia’s Freehills approached this October, HSF chair and senior partner Rebecca Maslen-Stannage had a decision to make: whether or not to celebrate the milestone.

While for many leaders it would be a landmark worthy of at least a little pageantry, Maslen-Stannage said she was “conflicted” and dismissed the suggestion of a big bash.