Courage Catches: Women in Restructuring and Insolvency

Baker & Partners has this year celebrated 20 years of litigation with a video campaign to the theme of 'Practice Makes Perfect'.  What does ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ look like for you as a female Partner?   

Thoughts from Jennifer…

The most important element of this saying to me is “practice”. We can have the pursuit of perfection, and strive to be better each time, but we must also recognise and accept that there will always be room to refine and improve.  I think this is the harder part, and frequently more so for women in business than men. Whether it’s managing a case or managing a team this isn’t a profession where we stop learning and developing.   

I aim to be deliberate in my work by being intentional in what I am doing, why I am doing it and doing so in a way that offers opportunities for those I am working with to learn and grow professionally in the process. Adopting a deliberate approach applies as much to deciding what it is I won’t do, just as much as what I will, and this gives me boundaries to work effectively.      

Find out more about Jennifer Colegate.

Find out more about Practice Makes Perfect. 

When Jennifer visited Jersey and joined the team to watch Evita directed by Partner Simon Thomas.

How do you maintain balance between work, home life and interests?

Thoughts from Nicosia…

Work-life balance holds an immense importance to me.  But like many, finding harmonious work-life balance between my professional and personal life is not without its challenges. I try to stick to a few key strategies:  

Setting boundaries for myself – I’ve  learned to get comfortable with saying no, or yes to less and that doing so does not mean that I am not a team player, unsupportive, ungrateful for opportunities, or that my opportunities for success and career growth will be minimised.  Rather, being honest about my bandwidth and clearly setting the expectations of others provides clarity for all involved, enhances communication, and establishes a baseline of measurement for future performance.  

Scheduling time for ‘me’ –  This doesn’t mean elaborate spa treatments but it means doing what makes me happy, both mentally and physically.  I focus on eating healthily, getting enough sleep and exercise, embracing the power of pausing, and making time for my hobbies and interests.   

Using my time efficiently – trying to make every hour count can be a struggle, but not impossible.  I try to let the day work for me by trying to get the most of each day and ensuring that the tasks I set out to do are done. Being productive during my core working hour is just as, if not more, important than the number of hours worked.   

Get help – There is a saying that “it takes a village”, and another one, “no [wo]man is an island”.  Both ring true to my aspirations for a steady work-life balance.  Asking for help and or delegating helps me to reduce stress, maintain my focus on other tasks, be more efficient and productive, whilst building trust and communication with my colleagues.   

Find out more about Nicosia Lawson.

Nicosia presenting on a Panel at INSOL International about cryptocurrency.

Who or what inspires you?

Thoughts from Nia…

Courage catches.  I find that the people who really give me no choice but to work harder to better myself in my career, as an asset recovery professional and as a person, all have one thing in common – they’re all braver than me. These people range from lawyers like Erin West who relentlessly advocate for victims of destructive crypto investment frauds, to several journalists that I follow who have been put through the enormous stress of being either sued or imprisoned for simply doing the most essential work – and for doing it well. I also take my hat off to women in the insolvency and asset recovery space who make the brave decision to commit to careers in what can be an extremely challenging environment from a professional development perspective.  

That’s why I’ll be learning as much as I can from our new Partner Jennifer Colegate, who is an example of how women have overcome similar challenges to break through that stubborn glass ceiling, whilst picking up some landmark achievements along the way – and all the while remaining undeterred.  

I’ve also drawn lot of inspiration from this year from our founding partner Stephen Baker. When Steve opened a litigation boutique 21 years ago in Jersey, he took a risk. As a qualified barrister, he had never worked in a law firm before, let alone run one himself. Our firm has now become a leading name in asset recovery.  Successful strategies and litigation have resulted in court orders requiring the repayment of billions of dollars off the back of white-collar criminal activities.   We now have a Tier 1 dispute resolution, regulatory and white-collar crime practice built on a corporate morality which we all collectively strive to preserve and maintain.   

I’ve felt supported to pursue my interest in Decentralised Autonomous Organisations and the ownerless corporate vehicle we use here in Cayman to legally wrap them (which we’ve delivered to some heavy weights in the insolvency industry over the last few months).  I’ve also written about these issues in industry publications and soon I’ll be hosting webinars on the topic too. This area of interest even inspired us to build a Web3 Disputes practice and we are now gearing up for the legal issues which will inevitably arise from the use of ownerless companies, particularly through an insolvency fraud and asset recovery lens. 

Find out more about Nia Statham.

The Cayman Islands team at a friendly Pickleball event.

What have been moments of growth for you in your career so far? 

Thoughts from Shula…

So far in my career the main moments of growth for me personally have been layered. The slow growth that occurs with each working day that passes and the wealth of knowledge and experience that you accumulate but may not always notice. The other more marked occasions are when you complete some training or a course which usually instills a sense of achievement as well as growth. Also overcoming an obstacle, such as a gap in knowledge or understanding and the growth that springs from plugging that gap. Aside from the victories achieved along the way, which inevitably result in organic growth, I have personally found I have learned more from my failures or perceived failures. The times in my career when something has not worked the way I thought it should, often allowed for greater growth. This was in terms of identifying gaps in knowledge and/or experience and, upon reflection, how to overcome, and deal with/approach the same or similar situations, so that perhaps the next time, the failure becomes a victory. 

Find out more about Shula Sbarro.

Shula out on the green at a golf networking day.

A bit about Baker & Partners

Baker & Partners is a leading and award-winning litigation firm with expertise in Jersey, Cayman Islands and the BVI. We specialise primarily in asset recovery, contentious trusts, corporate and commercial disputes, often with an international dimension. We provide legal advice and representation for corporate and private clients, financial institutions, governments and intermediaries across the world.

We have obtained Tier 1 listing for Legal 500 both as a firm and for our leading individuals. We are also recognised in Chambers & Partners UK and Global Offshore Dispute Resolution Guides.