“I remember once being told that I would make a good secretary… that was one of those moments where I thought: I think I’ll make a good partner”
Four senior black female lawyers reflect on their careers, and share tips both for black and minority ethnic lawyers, and for organisations that wish to foster a more diverse culture.
This was an unusual opportunity to bring together four women who have achieved great things in very different parts of the Legal industy. Their reflections are honest, optimistic, and very funny.
Denise Nurse: co-founder of Halebury (now an Elevate business following its acquisition in January 2019); former in-house counsel at Sky, private practice lawyer and TV presenter!
Chinwe Odimba-Chapman: Partner in the Employment team at Clifford Chance.
Lara Oyesanya: UK Counsel and Director, Legal, at the leading FinTech, Klarna; her in-house career has spanned Barclays, BAE Systems, HBOS and beyond.
Chenaara Edghill-Peart: a qualified barrister and senior Compliance professional, currently Compliance Manager at Global Fashion Group.
“Don’t try to blend in with the crowd… embrace your diversity to create a brand”
“We are the role models… We have to be prepared to mentor, to shape the profession, to create the opportunities. There’s a sense of responsibility that comes with being a successful BAME lawyer at the moment”.