Yadira Flores is a partner in Fogler Rubinoff‘s Business Law department and is a member of the firm’s Indigenous Business Law practice group. Myriah Graves is the firm’s Director of Professional Development and formerly a litigator with the firm, who began as an articling student there. In this episode, Lindsay speaks with Yadira and Myriah about the impact of the pandemic on women, both generally and in the legal profession, how the return to work and continuing of hybrid working may continue to disproportionately affect women and their opportunities for advancement, and the ways in which young lawyers have also been impacted. This was a fun and fascinating conversation.

You can listen to the podcast here, or we’ve provided a transcript of the highlights below.

Continue Reading Law Firm ILN-telligence Podcast | Yadira Flores and Myriah Graves | Fogler Rubinoff LLP

Now. Before you freak out and imagine that I’m suggesting that you become either a bard or a liar, just bear with me for a little bit to understand what I mean by “storytelling.” (Hopefully, you’ve also read last week’s post as well.)

Daily, we interact with lots of people – this happens in person, at our offices, in the coffee shop, at our kids’ sporting events, or in art classes. It happens online, through our group chats, text messages with friends, Facebook shares, LinkedIn comments, etc. We interact so much and so frequently, that we’ve reached a real saturation point with these interactions, and even with our professional messages, we can see a lack of care that a lot of us are giving to the details over the tools and the shiny new thing. Instead, we’re just blindly producing more and more and more and more, adding more noise (as Adrian Lurssen would say). Continue Reading Lawyers: Develop Business with Storytelling

We are pleased to announce the addition of C. Mputhia Advocates, Kenya.

C. Mputhia Advocates is an award-winning, Nairobi-based law firm, whose main vision is to be a change agent in the legal and business environment. C.Mputhia advocates recently launched its strategic plan with a theme of pioneering, globalization, and innovation. C.Mputhia advocates offers advice to international businesses seeking to establish a presence in Africa. The firm has provided policy and legislative advisory services for various international bodies including the World Intellectual Property Organization ( WIPO) in drafting the Copyright and Collective Management Organization Regulations for the Kingdom Of Eswatini. Continue Reading International Lawyers Network Welcomes New Member in Kenya

Michael Tinkler is an experienced commercial and real estate lawyer at Burton Partners, the ILN’s member for New Zealand. In this episode, Lindsay and Michael discuss the hot property market in New Zealand, the challenges of finding good talent, and the things that unite us.

You can listen to the podcast here, or we’ve provided a transcript of the highlights below.

Continue Reading Law Firm ILN-telligence Podcast | Michael Tinkler | Burton Partners

Since 2019, I have had the pleasure of being involved in the Empowered Women’s Event series as a committee member, with our organization as an in-kind sponsor. The event focuses on storytelling and according to event founder and host, Susan Freeman,

Stories have a transformative power to allow us to see the world in a different way than we do if we just encounter it on our own. Stories are an entry point to understanding a different experience of the world. Storytelling, presenting a different perspective of the world, is important when it comes to connecting with each other. It gives us an opportunity to learn from another person’s experience and it can shape, strengthen, or challenge our opinions and values. When a story catches our attention and engages us, we are more likely to absorb the message and meaning within it than if the same message was presented simply in facts and figures. When someone tells their own personal story, we catch a glimpse of a view of the world that may be slightly or radically different from our own. When we see the world as they see it, or walk in their shoes, the experience can inspire empathy.”

Continue Reading Why Attend an Event Solely for Women?

I wrote a version of this post a few weeks ago when the Supreme Court draft was leaked and I was thinking about it again this morning as I was having trouble concentrating because of the massacre in Uvalde, Texas. I know I’m not unique in feeling this way – I’ve talked with friends and other professionals here in the US who are having a really hard time this week, those who are parents and teachers especially. I am neither, but I do have a ten-year-old niece, whose face I can’t help but superimpose over all the victims as I consider the goofy and earnest conversations we have over FaceTime each weekend, how much she loves her stuffies and her family, how hard it was for her mom, my sister, to send her and her older sister to school yesterday morning. Continue Reading Human Connection: The Most Important Role We’ll Ever Have

Ágnes Bejó is the head of corporate and M&A at Jalsovszky, the ILN’s member for Hungary. In this episode, Lindsay and Ágnes explore the role of women and the impact of the pandemic, how a lawyer’s practice area impacts their desire to work remotely, and the way in which the pandemic shined an even brighter light on mental health in the legal profession.

You can listen to the podcast here, or we’ve provided a transcript of the highlights below.

Continue Reading Law Firm ILN-telligence Podcast | Ágnes Bejó | Jalsovszky

My title today comes from Luvvie Ajayi Jones, whose new book Rising Troublemaker: A Fear-Fighter Manual for Teens, comes out today (yes, my copy for my oldest niece arrives today too). Luvvie is one of my favorite authors, speakers, self-professed “troublemakers,” and the reason I’m mentioning her today is that the book I’m currently reading has me all fired up and her words this morning brought me some comfort (more on that shortly).

I’m reading The Future of the Professions: How Technology Will Transform the Work of Human Experts by Richard and Daniel Susskind. And if you know me at all and follow this blog, I’m sure you’re wondering how such a book has got me in a lather – truthfully, I agree with almost all of the predictions in the book, which is unfortunately terribly dry and academic (Richard already has me blocked on Twitter for some unknown reason, so this post won’t fix our relationship). I’ve read his other tomes in earnest and enjoyed his previous speeches, but I am trudging my way through this manual from 2015 like I’m wading through oatmeal. Continue Reading What Makes You Different is Your Superpower

Many of you who read this blog will know that last week, there was a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on Roe v. Wade that indicated that the Court plans to overturn it.

I have a lot of feelings about this leaked draft, as a woman, as an American, as more information continues to come out from states around my country. Those feelings have often made it difficult to concentrate and focus on the things I would like to, to be as driven as I normally would be as my very rights are in question. Continue Reading Lessons in Leadership: Supporting Real Humans

The short answer? Both!

After two-plus years of being limited to almost entirely virtual meetings, we’ve learned that there are huge benefits to doing things online. But many people were also chomping at the bit to get back to seeing each other in the flesh. So that begs the question – which is better? It turns out that we need both and for different reasons. So while you may be tempted to toss your ring light forever in favor of jumping back onto planes…not so fast. Let’s look at the pros of both types of meetings and see why you need to keep them all in your diary. Continue Reading The Battle of the Meetings: Virtual vs. In-Person – Which is Better?