Gordons is holding a free ticketed evening event to celebrate women’s contribution to the profession, with former Law Society of England and Wales president Christina Blacklaws set to speak.
The will be held in the firm’s Leeds office at 5.30pm until 7pm on 16 December.
Blacklaws (pictured) was president of the Law Society during 2018 and 2019, and was the fifth woman to have held the role since 1841.
With more than 25 years of experience in family law, Blacklaws is a well-known innovator in legal services. She chairs two government panels and acts as a consultant for organisations such as business advisory firm KPMG and news and information provider Thomson Reuters.
In addition to a keynote speech from Blacklaws, the event includes drinks, networking and a panel discussion on experiences of the region’s female lawyers, including Gordons partner Sarah Ratcliffe. A limited number of tickets are available.
Organised in partnership with Leeds Law Society, the event celebrates 100 years of women being able to practice as solicitors, as the centenary of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act takes place on 23 December. The Law Society has marked the milestone with a year of national celebrations.
Women represent more than half of practising solicitors and 60% of new entrants each year since 1990, but more than three-quarters (78%) of partners in private practice are men, according to Gordons.
Commenting ahead of the event, Blacklaws said: “Gender equality is not just an issue for half of us, but all of us. It is important that we continue to shift the needle by tackling unconscious bias and ensuring that a predominantly female pipeline sees women promoted into leadership positions.”
“The Law Society’s year of women in law has seen roundtables, a symposium and the national launch of an employers’ pledge, all to help build a more equal profession. I look forward to concluding our celebrations this December at Gordons with Yorkshire’s legal professionals.”
Ratcliffe added: “We are privileged to welcome Christina at the end of her inspirational tenure as Law Society president and host the concluding event in these national celebrations.”
“We hope this event will help empower female lawyers by providing a platform for a realistic insight into and discussion around women working in law in the 21st century. Gordons prides itself on its meritocratic approach and strong track record of senior leaders in the firm. We are hugely excited about this event and encourage people to sign up for the remaining tickets now.”
Those wishing to attend the event can register at www.leedslawsociety.org.uk/events-training.
Gordons recently advised Enact, a £30 million small- and medium-sized entity fund, on the acquisition of Doncaster-based manufacturer Bawtry Carbon International out of administration.
