Natalie Carter

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.