THE CHANGING FACE OF LEADERSHIP
Lane Neave is one of Aotearoa’s leading law firms, and culture has been the cornerstone of the firm’s success since the 1860s. The firm is tackling 2022 head-on with an eclectic, diverse and most importantly, strong partnership at the helm – 40 per cent of these being women. Meet three: Claire Evans, Paula Nicolaou, and Rebecca Scott.
“Law has always been a profession with plenty of women – it’s just that the leaders have traditionally been men,” according to Rebecca.
“Receptionists, PAs, and legal assistants have generally always been women. It’s really encouraging to see women bringing a different perspective to leadership, and this diversity represents the makeup of our firm.”
Lane Neave is a major national firm – one of the ten largest in the country. With offices here on Cambridge Terrace and throughout the country, the firm has won awards and recognition for Corporate and Commercial, Banking and Finance, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Insurance and Employment Law, as well as Employer of Choice and Law Firm of the Year. This is thanks to the inclusive environment fostered.
Claire mentions that when she was a junior lawyer, she was “the only female in the meeting”.
“These days, not only will there be a couple more women at the table, your client will most probably be female. I’ve been a lawyer for 20 years, and in that relatively short period of time, there’s been a huge surge in women moving into leadership positions.”
Claire was promoted to a partner while raising two children.
“I like to think I can show the generation coming through that you can be at the top of your game, with happy children and a family life. Lane Neave allowed me to do both, so I am very thankful from that perspective.”
Paula has been a lawyer for 25 years, and has a similar story.
“Working in building and construction, it was hard starting out. It was a room full of men, all of the time. It’s still mostly men, but now they’re perfectly accepting of women in this area. Being a woman in law is no longer a barrier with clients. I have a great team of both men and women, and they are all respected by our clients.
“We’re at the point now where we can do away with discussions about ‘women in law’. It no longer needs to be a point to raise. It’s just women doing a great job, and Lane Neave reflects that.”
Claire acknowledges the need for the partners and firm to “keep on changing”.
“We’re certainly not saying we’re there yet – we want to keep on changing and bringing in all sorts of diversity every year, as society changes as well.”
According to Paula, she’s not part of a ‘stuffy law firm’. “We are a pragmatic, eclectic partnership. At partnership level, our personalities are so incredibly different, and this is the strength Lane Neave has. It’s not just a bunch of old men in the same suits. We’re there to serve. We’re there to help people at some of the biggest, most stressful times, or the biggest financial deal, of their lives. We’re passionate about making that process as easy as possible, and we have the diversity to help with that.”
Rebecca highlights that they are all “proud of our people at Lane Neave”.
“Essentially, the only difference law firms have is their people. We all have the same computers and the same resources. We practice the same law. There’s 150 years of history with our staff, and an equal amount of history with our clients. That’s what makes us. That’s what feeds into our future.”