International Women’s Day celebrates the achievements of women in the workplace and takes action to drive gender parity. Here at Wilkin Chapman, the opportunity for career progression is open to all – with a large proportion of women moving up to partner level.
We caught up with the first and latest female partners, to find out how the legal industry has changed and developed for women over the years.
Around 23 years ago, Lisa Boileau was appointed as the first female partner at Wilkin Chapman. “I’m proud to be a partner in such a fantastic firm. It means that I can help shape the future and the direction of the firm and the futures of people in it,” says Lisa. “Becoming the first female partner in the firm was a huge personal achievement, but I also quickly realised that it meant a lot to the other women in the business, who had been watching and waiting for that watershed moment to happen.”
“When I first started my legal career, I went to a Law Society dinner. There were around 200 people in attendance. I counted the number of women in the room - there were eight of us,” she recalls. The significance of her appointment to partner has certainly not been lost on Lisa over the years. Now, almost half of all partners in the firm are female - something which Lisa is incredibly proud of.
“It’s thankfully not something any of my female colleagues even need to think about these days, but it was an important moment in the firm’s history and showed others that it was possible. I’m pleased to say that other female colleagues soon followed and joined me in the boardroom.”
Lisa strongly believes that having a gender balanced approach to the partnership offers an important quality to the leadership of the firm. “It shows we are a meritocracy, where the best person for the job gets the job. It also brings balance, inclusivity, understanding, and a range of skillsets which complement each other. Together, all of the partners make a strong board which is reflective and representative of what a modern law firm should look like.”
Wilkin Chapman has arguably been ahead of its time in this sense. “There are still some law firms who are playing catch up and whose boards do not reflect the number of women in their business, or in the profession generally, but that isn’t the case here,” states Lisa.
When asked how Wilkin Chapman breaks the mould to embrace equity, in line with the theme of International Women’s Day, Lisa’s answer was certain: “It’s simple: it’s a given. It’s embedded in our culture and in our values. We are lucky enough not to have to think about it; we see it in practice every day and it’s just normal for us. It’s what we all quite rightly expect of ourselves and from each other.”
Helen Barton is the most recent female partner to join our firm, having started in January 2023. “When the opportunity arose, I jumped at it! I am very proud to be a partner at Wilkin Chapman and to be a part of a progressive and forward-thinking firm,” remarks Helen.
These shared values have undoubtedly helped Helen fit in easily with the rest of her colleagues. “I am a rather ambitious person and need to be a part of something that is equally as ambitious. From my short time here, and from the people I have met, they all share the same drive.”
It is reassuring to know that the newest female partner’s impression of our firm’s approach to equity echoes that of the first. “It’s a given that the firm embrace equity: it’s embedded in Wilkin Chapman,” Helen observes. “Everyone is equal, and everyone is treated as such.”
It’s often been said that commercial property is traditionally male dominated, especially at partner level. Fortunately, Helen has not found this to be the case: “In the two previous firms that I worked at, the teams have been more female dominated, and even at partner level there has been an equal mix. I think law generally is becoming more female dominated.”
Her experience is supported by wider industry reports as, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, 61% of solicitors in the UK are now female. However, it is recorded that women make up only 39% of partners in law firms across the nation.
Helen’s advice for future female leaders in law was simple: “Being female should not hold you back. If you are good at what you do and have good management and leadership skills, then go for it!”
