Christina Warner | 1 MCB Chambers
I am a barrister at 1MCB Chambers. Originally qualifying as a solicitor-advocate, I cross-qualified as I believed my skills would be better utilised at the bar.
I am a LGBTQ/I+, women’s and human rights activist. I have contributed to campaigns and conferences raising awareness of social mobility and access to justice for those of marginalised communities, in particular those of the LGBT and Spanish-speaking communities in the UK.
I often represent individuals who form part of alternative family structures, promoting their rights and those of their children as well as better visibility of the community before the family courts. Providing voluntary support and training for charities who are all too often underfunded, I aim to raise awareness of social mobility and access to justice.
I have contributed to numerous leading legal publications, including Criminal Law & Justice Weekly, Criminal Bar Quarterly and Counsel, raising awareness of the impact of violence and abuse on children and families on both a national and international scale.
After a sabbatical at the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, where I contributed to the draft guidance on policies involving children and also formed part of a team of prosecutors bringing cases against individuals involved in the recruitment of child soldiers and girls involved in sexual slavery; I was appointed associate counsel in January 2018 with a particular interest in representing the victims of gender-based violence.
I was the only individual to have been a finalist shortlisted in two categories (Lawyer of the Year and Diversity Champion) at 2018’s UK Legal Diversity Awards, I was also credited by Amnesty International during their ‘Suffragette Spirit’ Campaign in March 2018, where I was listed on their Suffragette Map of Britain of modern-day, leading female human rights campaigners.
I was appointed a magistrate in 2008, one of the youngest magistrates at the time.
Lisette Dupre | Dawson Cornwell
Ranked as a "Recommended Lawyer " by The Legal 500 2017, Lisette trained as a barrister in 2005 and cross qualified as a solicitor in 2008, before joining Dawson Cornwell in 2010. She was promoted to Senior Associate in 2017.
Lisette advises on all areas of private family law from cohabitation and pre nuptial agreements through to divorce, financial disputes on separation, contact with children and enforcement. She also has experience securing financial remedies following a foreign divorce and maintenance for "abandoned spouses". She regularly advises on cases involving complex jurisdictional issues. Her private international law expertise covers the EU Maintenance Regulation 4/2009, 2007 Child Maintenance Hague Convention, Brussels I and Brussels IIR. She advises the team at Dawson Cornwell and her clients on issues concerning enforcement and variation of maintenance under the Regulation and Convention.
Lisette holds a Masters’ degree in law with the University of Bristol, her dissertation for which, completed in 2014, was on the EU Maintenance Regulation 4/2009. She is the Founder and Chair of the EU Law Working Group and member of a Brexit and Family Law Working Group.
Lisette is a member of Resolution, the Family Law Bar Association, the Franco British Lawyers Society, AIJA and the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA).
She is committed to her pro bono activities which include volunteering for the Rights of Women advice line, helping vulnerable women obtain advice they need and could not otherwise afford or obtain elsewhere. She sat on the Young Resolution Committee for 3 years until October 2018 and was a co-opted member of the Law Society Family Law Committee due to her international private law expertise, becoming a full member in September 2018.
Through her membership of various working groups to include her own she has helped raise awareness in the House of Lords during the debates on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill of the serious implications of Brexit on family law.
She is a regular author and speaker on family law.
Lisette is passionate about water sports in particular sailing. She has competed in two Fastnets and a JOG race to Cascais. She regularly competes throughout the year in various classes around the Solent.
Whitney Joseph | Mayer Brown International LLP
I am an Associate in the market leading Banking and Finance team at the London office of the global law firm Mayer Brown International LLP, where I advise on complex financial transactions.
As a black, state school educated female, living with the complications of sickle cell disease my career journey was more challenging than most, but has been incredibly rewarding. As a Social Mobility Ambassador for the Law Society of England and Wales, I have helped to raise the profile of social mobility, diversity and inclusion within the legal profession by demonstrating how the profession can better support candidates from less traditional backgrounds.
In 2017 I set up The City Prescription, which provides advice and guidance on matters relating to education and employment to young people living with long-term health conditions, particularly Sickle Cell Disorder. Through this, I raise awareness of the condition and helps to provide support and mentoring to young people on how to better understand their academic and professional options and pursue a range of careers.
In my spare time I act as a mentor for the Royal London Hospital, the Sickle Cell Society, the Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme and in an individual capacity to support students and young people. I speak at events to share my own experiences and best practice in relation to social mobility, diversity and inclusion and help to highlight the challenges faced by minority groups. I help to raise awareness and understanding of what firms and businesses can do to support students and also encourage young people to consider how they can help themselves to overcome some of the challenges.
Sarah Crabtree | Osborne Clarke LLP
I grew up in rural North Yorkshire to farmer parents, which isn't exactly a pre-cursor to a career in the City...
I went to a local girls grammar school before going to the University of Nottingham to study law and then to Nottingham Law School to study the LPC.
I trained and then qualified with Osborne Clarke in 2013 in the Corporate & Private Equity team in London and am now 5 and a half years-ish qualified.
In addition to the legal day job, I mentor a number of individuals both inside and outside of work, as well as sitting on a number of committees including OC Gender (our male and female inclusive women's network) and the Charity Committee and I am a Mental Health Champion and Diversity and Wellbeing Champion.
Outside of work, I play netball and tag rugby for OC and enjoy doing the usual stuff that 30-somethings-who-wish-they-were-still-20-somethings do.
Jessica Fenton-Holt | LendInvest
Jessica trained and qualified at Simmons & Simmons LLP as an associate within the firm’s banking team.
Throughout her time in private practice, she advised a range of financial institutions and borrowers on various domestic and cross-border banking, real estate and trade finance as well as advising agents and trustees in collaboration with the capital markets team.
Jessica also spent time on secondment at GSK and the syndicated loans team at SEB. Jessica joined the in-house team at LendInvest in April 2017. As part of a small and dynamic legal team she collaborates with teams across the business and supports the General Counsel.
Cherry Swift | DLA Piper UK LLP
I think my friends and family would agree that I have always been an "interpreter".
When my younger brother was learning to talk, I would step in and help him. Then, when I started high school and began learning foreign languages, I realised that there was the potential to communicate with people all over the world, and I could help those who couldn't understand that language too.
This led me to study a degree in Modern Languages (German and Spanish) with Business Management at The University of Birmingham, with a year abroad during my third year at The University of the Basque Country and The University of Freiburg. I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of my course. It was so varied - we would learn about history, politics, culture and social issues affecting the countries that spoke my chosen languages. It was like opening a giant doorway into the world.
However, on graduation, I considered how best to use my diverse skills and decided to pursue a career in commercial law. I completed the GDL and LPC courses at The University of Law, and was delighted to be offered a training contract with DLA Piper, a leading global business law firm.
On qualification with DLA Piper in 2017, I joined the firm's Real Estate team in Manchester, and now work with a number of high profile landlords, tenants, funders and developers. What I love is that Real Estate is a fast paced industry with really tangible results. Property is a huge part of a locality's DNA, and a part that has infinite potential to be developed and redeveloped as the society around it changes.
That's why I'm so passionate about my Partnership Engagement role with the CREation property network (https://www.cre-ation.co.uk/) in Manchester, planning and hosting exciting networking and professional development events in the city, discussing hot topics and helping junior professionals to expand their personal networks. I also thoroughly enjoy my work as a mentor with Regeneration Brainery (https://regenerationbrainery.co.uk/), a brilliant initiative aiming to inspire young people to pursue a career in property.
Ultimately though, I'm still an "interpreter", even if I'm not translating from one language to another. Instead, I interpret the law for our clients, breaking down the often complex legal provisions and practices into manageable and understandable concepts and solutions that align with their strategic aims.
A career in commercial law isn't just about providing a strong service to commercial clients. I believe that knowledge really is power, and something we should share with those who need it most. That's what led me to my additional role as a Pro Bono Coordinator, through which I run a mini-secondment programme with Hope for Justice (https://hopeforjustice.org/), a charity working to eliminate modern slavery and help victims of human trafficking all over the world, and a legal support service for The Prince's Trust (https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/), providing legal advice to young entrepreneurs through the Trust's "Enterprise" programme (https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/help-for-young-people/support-starting-business).
Outside of law and property, I'm a huge Wolverhampton Wanderers fan and attend matches whenever I can. At the time of writing, I'm really looking forward to my first trip to Wembley for our FA Cup semi-final match - up the Wolves!
Natalie Carter | Greenberg Traurig LLP
I studied Anthropology and Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science and am currently a commercial real estate associate solicitor at Greenberg Traurig LLP, an international US firm.
I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a solicitor but I was extremely passionate about the community from which I came (being a young second generation Jamaican born and raised in Tottenham) and wanted to ensure that regardless of the career path, I played an active role in improving the lives of those in my community.
I have worked on some of the highest profile commercial real estate transactions in London such as the purchase of 33 Horseferry Road for £188 Million by Sinar Mas Land (with financing from investment bank OCBC), the purchase of Aldwych House for £250 Million and the acquisition of 99 Gresham Street for £143 Million as well as the £1.15Bn sale of the Leadenhall Building in 2017 alone.
I was part of the first corporate law programme run by SEO London in 2010 and trained at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP (now BCLP) and qualified in 2013. Since then, I have assisting various charities and organisations which seek to improve diversity in the legal industry as well as mentoring multiple young black women applying for training contracts. Aside from mentoring informally, I am the director of Women in the City African and Caribbean Network and have also participated as mentor for the Legal Launch Pad programme run by the Black Lawyer’s Directory which seeks to help BAME students trying to enter into the legal industry for over 7 years. In 2016, I designed and delivered the UK’s first full day legal conference for students from diverse backgrounds for the legal charity Urban Lawyers and am a founding member of the Junior Lawyers Division of the Black Solicitors Network.
I am also the co-founder of Black Girls Book Club, which is a book club creating a safe space for black women who bond over a love of literature. Since its inception in 2016, Black Girls Book Club has hosted over 50 events which have been attended by over 2000 women and has also been featured in The Stylist, BET, The Metro, BBC Radio London and Pride Magazine. BGBC has hosted formidable, trailblazing women such as June Sarpong, Afua Hirsch, Dorothy Koomson, Liv Little, Angie Thomas, Malorie Blackman, Munroe Bergdorf and Jamia Wilson.
Asma Al Abbarova | Law Business Research
Asma is the Deputy Research Editor at Law Business Research and the Senior Coordinator of youth engagement and social mobility charity, Big Voice London.
At the age of 17, she moved to the UK from the Middle East to pursue her higher education. Asma graduated from the University of Kent with a Law degree and shortly thereafter obtained her LLM in Media Law from Queen Mary University of London, specialising in e-Commerce, Cyberspace and Media Law. Her dissertation focused on copyright and consumer protection in massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Asma’s research and creative approach resulted in her invitation to collaborate with and jointly present, as one of the youngest panellists to date, on the topic of ‘Consumer Protection in the EU and US’ at Cyberspace 2017, a two-day conference in the Czech Republic.
During the day, Asma channels her love for research and intellectual property into her position as Deputy Research Editor, a role she was promoted to six months after starting at the firm. She interviews, liaises with and builds strong relationships with leading trademark and patent practitioners across 25 jurisdictions to identify global trends in this highly dynamic industry for the World Trademark Review 1000 and Intellectual Asset Management 1000 guides.
In the evenings and every spare moment she has, Asma is dedicated to improving diversity in the legal profession. She is the Senior Coordinator of Big Voice London, a social mobility charity which seeks to engage young people from non-traditional backgrounds in law and legal policy. Big Voice London runs several projects for A-Level students each year, including a Mooting Competition in association with the UK Supreme Court and the country’s only Model Law Commission.
Katherine Ramo | CMS
Katherine (Katia) Ramo is an Associate in Technology & Media at the global law firm CMS, London office.
She advises on corporate, commercial and telecommunications regulatory issues for a diverse global client base.
She is listed as a top global 30 Financial Times Women In Business HERoes and Future Female Leader 2018. She is a core member of CMS equIP helping technology start-ups scale, a member of CMS BUZZ Network for Media Professionals. She serves in all diversity matters in the City and globally.
She is the Founder and Chair of CMS ENABLE Network (disability and wellbeing) and supports the other internal diversity networks (Women, BAME and LGBT*). She is a Co-head of InterLaw Diversity Forum’s Enable Disability Network and member of the United Nations Stakeholders Group on Persons with Disability and its High-level Political Forum (HLPF) which is the main United Nations (UN) platform on sustainable development, playing a central role in the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global level.
Katherine is a Trustee on the Board of BlindAid and sits on the Editorial Board of City Solicitor’s Magazine. She is currently completing a PhD in International Law. She was shortlisted for a Personal Achievement award by enei (the Employers’ Network for Equality and Inclusion) in 2018 and nominated for the First 100 Years Project Inspirational Women in Law Awards in 2018.
Dana Abdulkarim | Linklaters LLP
Dana is an associate in Linklaters’ corporate team and has experience in both public and private M&A as well as private equity.
She has acted on a range of domestic and international M&A transactions, including Takeda's takeover of Shire and AB InBev's takeover of SAB Miller in the public sphere and Unilever's sale of its Spreads business as well as a number of other acquisitions and disposals for various PE house in the private sphere.
Dana is originally from Bahrain, a small Gulf nation to which she still has very strong ties (family included!) and speaks fluent English and Arabic. She moved to London in 2011 to pursue a degree in law at the London School of Economics, graduating with first class honours in 2014. Dana is passionate about women's rights, and is closely involved with both the Embassy of Bahrain in London and various charities and other initiatives to try to promote access to justice and encourage women to join the legal profession.