8 March 2019

International Women's Day 2019

Forsters is delighted to celebrate International Women's Day 2019. As a firm, we are committed to seeing each and every one of our people realise their potential in a diverse and inclusive working environment and are delighted to take this opportunity to celebrate the success of women at all levels of the firm.

We asked women within the firm about their experience of working here at Forsters. Here is what some of them had to say:

Smita Edwards, Senior Partner

"I worked whilst my children were very young and was actually made a partner when I was about to go on maternity leave with my second child; I was very fortunate to have the support and guidance of my mentor Sophie Hamilton, because at that time (over 25 years ago) partnerships were very male dominated. For me, it was important to recognise that in order to succeed I did not have to be superwoman, but I did have to be organised, focussed and incredibly good at juggling!

Women have always been supported and encouraged at Forsters and have held important positions in the business. Nine of our 14 Legal Practice Group Management Roles are held by women. Four of our eight Operational Management Heads are women. Over 40% of our partners are women.

As a firm we pride ourselves on creating opportunities for talented women and helping them to achieve their full potential. We charge our women leaders with the responsibility of finding and bringing on the next generation of women leaders in the business."

Claire Farrelly, Head of Business Development & Marketing

"I made the decision to become a mother on my own and to raise my daughter as a solo parent. This has been the single biggest decision of my life, and one that was enabled due to the work environment that is provided to me by the partners of Forsters. I feel strongly that to empower women to make positive choices that will enhance their careers, their life and families, a supportive employer is key. I work with dynamic, intelligent and compassionate people – our firm is led by a host of senior women (and men!) who work hard to create a balanced work environment to ensure future lawyers, leaders, support staff and lawyers alike can satisfy their personal and professional ambitions. Forsters is a firm that can be proud of already living the #BalanceforBetter values."

Alison Fairchild, Head of HR

“#BalanceforBetter is critical to ensure women are given a platform to develop their skills and are empowered to fulfil their professional aspirations.”

Lauren Jenkins, Secretarial Team Leader

"I consider myself very fortunate that I work in an environment surrounded by strong female role models; I work for two highly successful female partners, as well as the firm’s Head of Operations, Sarah-Jane Muskett and our Secretarial Support Manager Kat Jacobs, all of whom I very much look up to. I am grateful that Forsters is a place that has enabled me and actively encouraged me to develop my career within business support services, allowing me to take on a position of responsibility and helping me grow within that role year on year. Forsters has shown that progression is not just for lawyers – we have the opportunity here to continually develop our roles, something which we should not take for granted, as there are so many women around the world that do not have such opportunities."

Our Insights

"The team is efficient, very approachable and personable."
Chambers Guide, 2023
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