16 ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS – AUGUST 2024 WWW.LEGALBUSINESSONLINE.COM COVER STORY Thai-headquartered global MNCs, so this issue was less pronounced. However, since taking the helm of our China practice six years ago, I’ve observed that nearly all my counterparts are from SOEs or large private companies. Given the cultural emphasis on relationship building, trust-building activities often exclude women from excelling.” Yufu at A&S recalls, “When I tried to get a job at a law firm handling international corporate legal affairs as the first step in my career as a lawyer, quite a few firms directly told me that they do not hire women. However, I was nevertheless able to get a job at a prominent law firm because a male lawyer who was my instructor at the Legal Training and Research Institute convinced that law firm that “nowadays, there is not a prestigious firm without at least one female lawyer”. Today, this is no longer the case at all, and law firms tend to hire lawyers regardless of gender, seeking talented lawyers. The legal profession is becoming more diverse with an increasing number of different career paths.” Hing at Drew & Napier says Singapore is quite the exception to the norm. “I am incredibly lucky to have had fair and supportive bosses and mentors who gave me opportunities to prove myself. They did not treat me any differently from my male colleagues. I learnt from them that so long as I worked hard and met their expectations, I was entitled to a seat at the table. I believe that the legal profession in Singapore continues to provide the same level playing field to young lawyers, regardless of whether they are men or women.” Nguyen ay VILAF points out challenges that female lawyers in Vietnam face today. “They have to deal with increased competition, as more graduates enter the market with fewer job openings. They have to balance long hours and high expectations with their personal and family life, which can be stressful and exhausting. They have to adapt to the rapid changes in technology, which require constant learning and updating of skills. They have to overcome implicit bias and gender stereotypes, which can affect their performance, evaluation, and promotion. They have to build a strong professional network, which can be difficult when they face barriers to access established circles of influence, often dominated by more senior and male lawyers.” STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE Nguyen, Du-Baladad and Yufu all agree that to create a better environment for female lawyers in the workplace, law firms across the board must implement strategies to improve and maintain diversity in hiring, job assignment, promotion and work-life balance are key. Nguyen says actively recruiting from a broad talent pool, strong mentorship programs, flexible working policies, antibias training, transparent advancement paths and supportive networks go a long way in growing female representation in the profession. Du-Baladad adds, “Offering flexible work arrangements and implementing family-friendly policies is essential for creating a thriving workplace. It is crucial to promote growth and success by providing equal access to career development opportunities, including high-profile cases and leadership training programs. Regularly reviewing and addressing pay equity and promotion practices is essential for maintaining a fair and inclusive work environment.” Methodology • Key work done in the past year and entire career – Role & responsibility – Type; scale; volume; value; complexity; impact on the market – Landmark/first-of-its-kind; involving innovativeness/ breakthrough in particular elements • Key clients and feedback • Market reputation of candidate • Market reputation of firm Image: polkadot_photo/Shutterstock.com
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