Pinsent Masons places a strong emphasis on support for working families as it is widely recognised as assisting career progression and we have very good policies for flexible and agile working which we are encouraged to make use of , even at partner level . Andrea McIlroy-Rose
work undertaken is generally for local clients or clients such as Croydon Council or Kennedy Wilson where the direct relationship is based in Belfast and they chose us due to expertise rather than a lower cost base .
Our vision has never been for the Belfast team to operate as a back office and engaging directly with clients has always been a prerequisite for us .
Pinsent Masons recently announced an opening in Dublin ? How will that impact on Belfast ?
We are very excited about the new Dublin office . Whilst this is the latest in a long line of recent office openings which range from two offices in Australia in 2015 to Madrid and Johannesburg within the last six months , we see Dublin as the missing link in providing an allIsland offering .
Pinsent Masons was already one of only a handful of firms who can operate throughout the UK with offices in Scotland and England along with Belfast but a Republic of Ireland presence is particularly important in the current postBrexit climate .
We already act for quite a number of clients who are active throughout Ireland and the new office will provide us with a great platform to expand and develop our client base .
How do you balance the pressures of a commercial law firm with family life ?
As with most working parents juggling your time is never easy . However I try to limit travel to one of the other offices to no more than one day a week and I am very lucky to have very good family support which I depend upon and appreciate very much .
Pinsent Masons places a strong emphasis on support for working families as it is widely recognised as assisting career progression and we have very good policies for flexible and agile working which we are encouraged to make use of , even at partner level .
The firm set themselves a challenging target of a 25 per cent female partnership by May 2018 and announced in March that we have reached this target a year early . Although we are delighted by this success we are determined to build upon it .
Why is diversity important to Pinsent Masons ?
One of the reasons that I am most proud to work at the firm is our real commitment to diversity and inclusion .
If people feel respected for who and what they are , they are happier and motivated at work and in professional services that means
Speaking at a ‘ Lean In ’ event Andrea is recognised as an insightful commentator on diversity issues .
a better service for our clients . It also creates a culture of openness and consideration and makes for a very positive working environment .
Pinsent Masons is recognised as being a real leader amongst law firms in relation to diversity and inclusion and this is particularly apparent in the local market .
Our commitment has been recognised through a number of accolades in this arena , the most recent of which include a ' Stonewall Top Global Employer '; ' Top 30 Employer for Working Families '; ‘ The Times Top 50 Employers for Women ’; and a Legal Week Award for Innovation in Diversity .
Our diversity network is made up of separate groups which include – Female Futures , Family Support Network , LGBT Group , MultiFaith Group , MultiCultural Group and Disability and Wellbeing .
Membership of each of these groups is open to everyone and each group has a chair who sits on the Diversity Board and report directly to the main Board .
I have been the international chair of the female networking group , Female Futures for the last five years and we have members throughout the world with one main aim which is to make Pinsent Masons a great place for women at all levels to work .
This has given me a great opportunity to explore the working cultures of our offices throughout the world and become fully integrated with the firm ' s objectives and people .
I was very flattered to be shortlisted in the Legal Advisor of the Year category in the inaugural Women in Finance Awards 2017 held in London in June . The awards celebrate individuals and organisations leading change and breaking down barriers and the nomination means a lot because of the link to diversity and the law .
What is your ambition for the firm in Belfast over the next five years ?
With a new Head of Office , various changes in personnel and the office opening in Dublin , the Belfast leadership team have used the opportunity to pause and reassess our strategy for Northern Ireland .
Our feeling is that whilst we have had some great successes in Belfast , the strategy is not quite there yet and we need to address the challenges and accept there is room for improvement .
We are determined to remain a local marketleader and whilst there are enormous advantages to having the resource and specialist knowledge that being part of an international law firm brings , we have to work harder to show the relevance of standout services for clients in Northern Ireland .
The strategy review has brought an honesty and clarity to our thinking and we have ambitious plans to focus more on our local engagement , including more investment in people and the type of services we can provide .
I ' m confident that Pinsent Masons have the best team and culture in place to achieve our full potential in Northern Ireland , and I look forward to leading us in that task .
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