Diversity and productivity stand out in the II session of InspiraLAw Connect
The new virtual event organised by Iberian Lawyer counted with the participation of partners from global law firms and heads of Legal departments of multinational companies
Iberian Lawyer hosted the second session of InspiraLaw Connect, which takes part in the initiative of InspiraLaw. This project consists of two main events: InspiraLAw Connect, a networking meeting dedicated to women who are leading the change in the legal field, and InspiraLAw celebration night, the gala event, which will take place in late May 2021, dedicated to the top 50 women from Spain and Portugal whose work inspires others while promoting the role of women between the legal sector and our society.
Presented by Aldo Scaringella, LC Publishing Group managing director and owner, the webinar was moderated by country manager Spain & Latam Mercedes Quintas. It was held in partnership with the law firms Simmons & Simmons and Eversheds Sutherland and also counted with the support of Portugal’s Católica | Faculdade de Direito (Escola de Lisboa) and Spain’s Universidad Pontificia Comillas.
The contributions of the following speakers, as well as the numerous online audience, were key to establish a safe discussion on inclusion and diversity in the legal sector, along with the changes from presential and remote work on their industries and how to manage productivity:
Clara Cerdán, general counsel and corporate secretary, Grupo FerroAtlántica
María Echeverría-Torres, head of Legal, Nokia Networks
María Hernández, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
María Tomillo, partner, Simmons & Simmons
Patricia Miranda, head of Legal department, OUIGO España
Teresa Mínguez, director Legal and Compliance, Porsche Ibérica
The lawyers, who shared their experiences within the legal sector, specifically in their law firms, where María Hernández and María Tomillo. On the one hand, María Hernández from Eversheds Sutherland pointed out that besides gender, it’s important to include age, ethnicity and religion when we speak about diversity. She added that she wishes for a world of full equality and flexibility in the legal field, that we need to build between both men and women.
On the other hand, María Tomillo highlighted that it’s essential for law firms and companies, in general, to create referents for future generations, women leaders who can be an example for the youth.
Clara Cerdán, from Grupo FerroAtlántica, spoke about how by implementing meritocracy, diversity emerges. She indicated that we have to work for objectives since what matters is the performance and commitment of the team.
From another point of view, Patricia Miranda, from OUIGO España, gave her perspective on an industry-led mostly by men, where the desire to work hard is instrumental for women to stand out. She also commented that the remote work has led to a digital invasion, for which we still lack tools that allow us to be productive and effective in a digital environment.
Teresa Mínguez, from Porsche Ibérica, mentioned that this new era has strengthened empathy between colleagues and has benefited women since barriers that used to exist by working in person have been broken. She also talked about how Porsche has implemented initiatives that ensure women’s participation, such as “pioneers” and “racing females”.
Lastly, in a similar way, María Echeverría-Torres from Nokia Networks also talked about the company initiatives that helped to break the pay gap between men and women. She believes that diverse teams make better decisions and that young female talent needs to be encouraged.
InspiraLAw is the initiative promoted by Iberian Lawyer to recognise the important work carried out by women from the legal sector (both private practice and in-house lawyers) in Spain and Portugal.
