This episode of the Fountain Court Podcast is the recording of an International Women’s Day webinar co-hosted with Client Talk and the London Solicitors Litigation Association (‘LSLA’) in March 2024. The webinar was facilitated by Claire Rason, Founder and Director of Client Talk and author of the diversity report, “The Class of 2002”. The panel involved representatives from across the litigation ecosystem, discussing what needs to be done to ensure gender parity at all levels of the profession.  

Joining Claire in the discussion are:

  • Anneliese Day KC: Anneliese is a leading silk at Fountain Court Chambers. She practices across a broad range of commercial areas and she is described by the legal directories as a “a standout genius” and “an absolute rockstar at the top of her game” who is a “leading lawyer of her generation”. She was appointed a silk age 38 when 38 weeks pregnant with her second child.
  • Mrs Justice Cockerill: Mrs Justice Cockerill is a High Court judge and was Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court between 2020 and 2022.
  • Nina Best: Nina is the General Counsel of Delinian, a private equity owned company which includes a portfolio of specialist global businesses. She is the former Chief Privacy Officer at the company, where she spearheaded the establishment of a robust global data protection framework. Nina is based in Nottingham where she shares her life with her wife and two children.
  • Nikki Edwards: Nikki is a partner in the Commercial Dispute Resolution team at Howard Kennedy and is the President of the LSLA (although she was Vice President at the time of recording). Nikki is also a commercial and workplace mediator, and a mother of two.
  • Avneet Baryan: Avneet is a senior Associate at Mills & Reeves and is President of the Junior LSLA (although she was Vice President at the time of recording).

During the webinar, the panel speak about challenges they have faced throughout their careers and how they have tried to overcome them, the importance of a support network including male allies, and the impact of a 24-7 culture on the professional generally.

For more information about Fountain Court’s approach to equality and diversity, please click here.