International Women’s Day 2023

The aim of the International Women’s Day 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about: Why equal opportunities aren’t enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.

At Chadwick Lawrence we fully embrace Women’s Day every year and firmly believe that collective action and shared ownership for driving gender parity matters to us.

Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all #EmbraceEquity. And in the spirit of celebrating women’s achievements and embracing equity, we’re shining a spotlight today on some of our women in law, specifically our Equity Partners Sarah Haller, Sarah Power, Asma Iqbal and Cheryl Largue – our longest-standing female Equity Partner.

Sarah Haller, Partner, Head of Real Estate

Sarah joined Chadwick Lawrence on 15 June 1998, meaning she celebrates 25 years with the firm this year. She started her working life as a music teacher and then became a journalist before going to University as a mature student. She has a Business Law Honours Degree and, a few years ago, successfully completed an MBA.

Here’s Sarah’s story in her own words: “I joined Chadwick Lawrence as a temporary Secretary in the Morley office and became a Trainee Solicitor in January 1999, qualifying in 2000 within the firm. I originally did conveyancing, wills and probate and moved to Huddersfield 15 years ago to work in the Commercial Property Team. After around 18 months I moved back into Conveyancing and became Head of Department shortly afterwards.

“The Head of Department role is very diverse, from handling queries, supporting the Department Managers, writing protocol, carrying out file reviews, running weekly management meetings, being a member of the firm’s DCon Board, planning department strategy, handling relationships with referrers, to name but a few tasks! I’m also the firm’s Senior Responsible Officer for the Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme in addition to being the firm’s Money Laundering Reporting Officer, handling all things relating to money laundering.”

What does International Women’s Day mean to me? “It’s a time to reflect and look forward to a truly equal world where women have equality in everything they do, whatever career or path they choose in life. I note that this year’s theme is ‘Embrace Equity’. Embrace means to accept and adopt willingly and enthusiastically. I believe that when we embrace equity, we embrace diversity and inclusion. This will automatically lead to equality.”

Cheryl Largue, Partner, Head of Property Department

Cheryl is our longest-serving female Equity Partner and heads up our Property Department, a team that deals with all manner of commercial property work. Following graduation and completion of the Legal Practice Course, she joined Chadwick Lawrence as a trainee solicitor in early 1999 working in the Commercial / Corporate Department, qualifying into that team in 2001 and specialising in commercial property. Cheryl then had the opportunity to progress within that team and became an Equity Partner in 2007 at the age of 32. 

Her day-to-day work involves various commercial property transactions, predominantly acting for our well-established client base. She says: “No day is ever the same! Since becoming Head of Department in 2016, I’m also now responsible for management of the team across our offices, leading by example.”

What does International Women’s Day mean to me? “It’s a reminder of the need to reflect on how far women have come within the legal profession, having just passed the 100-year anniversary of when the first woman became a solicitor in 1922. Working within the law brings its own challenges regardless of whether you are a woman. Property work remains highly document-based and is subject to the pressures of meeting relevant timescales on transactions, the technological world within which we now operate often expecting an ‘instantaneous’ result. I would like to think there is no longer a great disparity between men and women within law, and I believe you are judged both by your clients and your peers within the legal profession on your experience and professionalism regardless. Chadwick Lawrence is a great place to work where a work / life balance is positively encouraged. We work as a team, and flexibility is granted around an individual’s requirements, and you are certainly not judged on having to work around childcare arrangements. Here, you are valued on the work and effort you put into the firm.

“I believe that a flexible and empathetic management style brings the most out of people regardless of their profession, and the following quote from Jacinda Ardern during her time as Prime Minister of New Zealand rings true: “One of the criticisms I have faced over the years is that I am not aggressive enough or assertive enough, or maybe somehow, because I am empathetic, it means I am weak. I totally rebel against that, I refuse to believe that you cannot be both compassionate and strong”. 

Asma Iqbal, Partner, Litigation and Corporate Recovery Insolvency Department 

Prior to joining Chadwick Lawrence, Asma trained with Ralph C Yablon Solicitors in Bradford and then joined Brooke North Solicitors in their Insolvency Department. Asma joined the firm in March 2008, to set up and head the Corporate Recovery and Insolvency Department initially as a salaried Partner. Six months later she was offered the position of an Equity Partner. 

As a result of the successful outcome of the Azeem Rafiq case that Asma was involved with, she’s spearheading work with several organisations in terms of equality, diversity and inclusion. This includes her role as the Diversity and Inclusion Champion for the Insolvency Service, as a BAME Committee member for the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, and she’s also the Diversity and Inclusion Champion for the Leeds Enterprise Partnership (‘LEP’) Board West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Asma is a Committee Member for the R3 National and Yorkshire Region and participates in the mentoring scheme to support the refugees start up for business in Yorkshire.

What does International Women’s Day mean to me? “This year’s theme revolves around embracing equity. For me embracing equity is to address equity and diversity within organisations such as awareness around equity in the workplace and evaluating workplace equity around behaviour, and policies. It’s about dealing with the gender pay gap in organisations and the equity in career progression. Equity is about representation in organisations, I’m a firm believer that to be something you have to see it.”

Sarah Power, Partner & Head of Family

Sarah qualified as a solicitor in 2004, and worked at three other smaller firms, one in Leeds, before joining Chadwick Lawrence in 2008. She has always worked exclusively in family law.

And Sarah is currently focused on helping clients to work through the consequences of their relationship breakdowns. This includes negotiating their financial settlements and reaching agreements over the arrangements for their children. I have a particular interest in dealing with financial settlements on divorce, many of which involve dealing with business assets and support clients with the preparation of Living Together/Pre-Nuptial Agreements.

What does International Women’s Day mean to me? “For me, it’s an opportunity to shine a light on the achievements of women across the world and to focus attention on inclusivity and equality.”