We are delighted to announce our IFLR1000 Women Leaders for 2021. This year's guide - the fourth edition - is by far the most comprehensive yet, featuring more than 750 lawyers globally, almost double the number of lawyers we ranked last year. It is a privilege to be able recognise the work of all the outstanding lawyers who appear in our guide.
IFLR1000 Women Leaders are the most prominent female lawyers working in the areas of law we research (financial and corporate transactions and contract, licensing and regulatory project work) within their jurisdictions. This is an elite group of lawyers with outstanding reputations within their markets who either have expertise and experience of working on complex deals, or who have risen to hold leadership roles with their firms or their practices. For some individuals both these things are true.
Research methodology
The IFLR1000 undertakes annual research into the lawyers and firms working in our areas of research. IFLR1000's research teams in Hong Kong, London, New York and Sofia analyse thousands of research submissions, conduct thousands of interviews with law firm partners, and survey tens of thousands of clients to determine IFLR1000's Women Leaders. We consider all female lawyers working in our areas of research as Women Leaders but firms that participate in our research (see guidelines) can nominate individuals and individual lawyers can nominate themselves by taking our Lawyer Survey.
Women Leaders 2021 content
Below you will find links to:
- Women Leaders profiels by region and jurisdiction
- Online profiles of our featured Women Leaders
- Analysis pieces covering diversity and inclusion in the legal profession
- Interviews with high-profile, inspirational female lawyers from across the world focussed around diversity in the legal profession
if you have any questiosn about our research, please contact Ben Naylor: bnaylor@iflr1000.com
If you would like to discuss how we can help you promote you or your firm's achievements, please contact Liam Sharkey: lsharkey@iflr.com
Women Leaders profiles by region
Featured Women Leaders
Catarina Levy Osorio - ALC Advogados, Angola
Catarina Levy Osorio is both a founder and the managing partner of leading Angolan firm ALC Advogados, which is part of Portguese Morais Leitão’s network. In addition to heading the firm, Levy Osorio leads on a high proportion of the firm’s notable corporate and project deals.
Vivienne Gouthro - Higgs & Johnson, Bahamas
Vivienne Gouthro is an experienced and prominent figure in the Bahamas legal industry. Managing partner of Higgs & Johnson’s Freeport office, she has been practising for more than 25 years in the jurisdiction. A maritime law expert, Gouthro specialises in shipping finance transactions for international lenders.
Christel Sands-Feaste - Higgs & Johnson, Bahamas
Christel Sands-Feaste chairs Higgs & Johnson’s financial services law and regulation and securities and investment funds practice groups. As her titles suggest she had a broad range of expertise and experience. She recently led on an innovative utility securitization which required the legislative framework to be amended and restated.
Ingrid Pierce - Walkers, Cayman Islands
As Global Managing Partner of one of the world’s largest offshore law firms, Ingrid Pierce’s prominence in the legal sector extends well beyond her jurisdiction. Also head of Walkers' Cayman Islands investment funds group, she is considered one the leading lawyers in the industry. She boasts 20 years' experience in funds work, excelling in advising funds on distressed matters.
Yonghong Zhan - Guantao Law Firm, China
Project development specialist at Guantao Law Firm, Yonghong Zhan has led or co-led a large portion of the firm’s projects mandates of late. She has been involved in a raft of confidential projects spanning the real estate, construction and social infrastructure sectors.
Anna-Sophie Noury - Weil Gotshal & Manges, France
Restructuring and insolvency specialist, Anne-Sophie Noury, is a prominent lawyer within her market and practice area. She co-heads Weil Gotshal & Manges’ Paris restructuring group, previously led the same practice area at domestic firm BDGS and is a member of the Women in Restructuring network. Often instructed on high profile deals, she was recently involved in the restructurings of the Bourbon and Sonia Rykiel.
Jazna Vanessa Oquelí de Riera - García & Bodán, Honduras
García & Bodán’s Honduras managing partner Jazna Vanessa Oquelí de Riera is among the leading female lawyers in the jurisdiction. Her focusses are broad, encompassing banking and finance, corporate transactions and projects, and she has a history of working on innovative deals such as the state’s debut bond sale.
SH Fransisca - Makes & Partners, Indonesia
Head of Makes & Partners' banking and finance practice group, SH Fransisca also plays an integral part in the firm’s corporate and M&A and real estate practices. She has led on several high-profile deals throughout her career, including the high value acquisition of Campbell Soup's international business by KKR and the IDX IPO of DIRE Simas Plaza Indonesia - the first DIRE listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange.
Tara Doyle - Matheson, Ireland
Head of Matheson’s asset management and funds group, Tara Doyle is one of Ireland’s most prominent funds specialists. Formerly chair of the Council of Irish Funds, Doyle now heads the working group for Irish Funds ESG policy. She is recognised for her fund formation and regulatory advice and worked on the first European alternative investment fund.
Julie Murphy-O'Connor - Matheson, Ireland
Co-head of Matheson’s litigation practice, Julie Murphy-O'Connor is recognised by clients as one of Ireland’s most impressive insolvency practitioners, especially regarding her enforcement work. She is regularly involved in complex cross border restructuring and insolvency cases.
Rita Martins - DSL Lawyers, Macau
Head of DSL Lawyer’s banking and finance practice, Rita Martins is among the top practitioners in Macau. Focussed on corporate and project finance, Martins has over 20 years of experience and recently advised on the setting up of facial recognition terminals with Macau merchants, and on MGM Macau’s sub-concession extension to 2022.
Valerie Bisasur - BLC Robert & Associates, Mauritius
BLC Robert & Associates partner Valerie Bisasur is a banking and finance specialist with an impressive recent track record advising lenders including Standard Chartered Bank, The Mauritius Commercial Bank, and Agence Française de Développement on innovative high-profile loan transactions.
Seyi Bella - Banwo & Ighodalo, Nigeria
A partner in the banking practice of top tier Nigerian firm Banwo & Ighodalo, Seyi Bella has only been a partner since 2018 but has built an impressive track record of secured finance experience and, through it, and an excellent reputation in the market.
Azeezah Muse-Sadiq - Banwo & Ighodalo, Nigeria
Banwo & Ighodalo partner Azeezah Muse-Sadiq has an impressive recent record of leading on high profile deals. The highlights include advising the lenders financing the acquisition of an oil mining lease, working for Ecobank Nigeria on a $400 million refinancing and advising the issuer on the largest corporate bond ever sold by a Nigerian Bank.
Olayemi Anyanechi - Sefton Fross, Nigeria
Managing partner and one the founders of Sefton Fross, Olayemi Anyanechi has an excellent reputation and more than two decades experience. Prior to launching her own firm, she was manging partner at leading Nigerian firm Templars and general counsel at one the country’s largest conglomerates, Sahara Group.
Monia Dobrescu - Muşat & Asociaţii, Romania
A partner at Muşat & Asociaţii for almost a decade, Monia Dobrescu has a broad focus but is especially recognised for her finance advice and real estate work. Her recent experience includes cross border lender-side financing mandates and regulatory work for China Development Bank, PPF banka and EBRD.
Jelena Gazivoda - JPM Janković Popović Mitić, Serbia
A senior partner at Janković Popović Mitić, one of Serbia’s leading firms, Jelena Gazivoda is among the most experienced lawyers in the jurisdiction. Her expertise lies in energy and natural resources project work (she heads the firm’s mining and energy department) and she has worked on some of the most important strategic projects in the region, including TurkStream.
Rachel Eng - Eng and Co, Singapore
Founding partner and managing director of Eng and Co in Singapore, Rachel Eng has won numerous accolades in her nearly three decades of experience as a corporate and commercial lawyer. Known for her corporate and M&A, funds and capital markets work, she recently advised Credit Bureau Asia on its IPO on the SGX.
Maja Žgajnar - CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz, Slovenia
CMS partner Maja Žgajnar is a well-known banking and finance and capital markets specialist with more than 20 years’ experience. She has a focus on distressed banking deals and lender side work, and experience advising on loan portfolio sales and real estate and acquisition financing. Her recent work highlights include representing EIB on a cross border financing to Slovenia’s largest telecoms operator.
Annie Eunah Lee - Bae Kim & Lee, South Korea
Annie Eunah Lee is a partner in Bae Kim & Lee’s banking and capital markets team. The New York-qualified lawyer often leads transactions in debt capital markets and banking and recently acted in the Korean government’s issuance of $1.5 billion foreign exchange equalisation bonds, and in Affinity Equity Partners' $504 million financing for the investment in Shinhan Financial Group.
Passawan Navanithikul - Somboon Rittichai Panuwat Passawan, Thailand
Partner at newly founded Somboon Rittichai Panuwat Passawan in Thailand, Passawan Navanithikul is one of Thailand’s leading banking and finance specialists. She has more than 20 years of experience and previously led the banking and finance practices of Weerawong Chinnavat & Partners and Clifford Chance in Thailand.
Natthida Pranutnorapal - Weerawong Chinnavat & Partners, Thailand
Head of the restructuring and insolvency practice at Weerawong Chinnavat & Partners, Natthida Pranutnorapal has experience leading on major restructuring mandates across a variety of sectors. Her recent high-profile work includes advising on the rehabilitation of Sahaviriya Steel Industries and the business restructuring of Saha Farms and Golden Line Business.
Veeranuch Thammavaranucupt - Weerawong Chinnavat & Partners, Thailand
Weerawong Chinnavat & Partners senior partner, Veeranuch Thammavaranucupt, helms the firm’s capital markets and corporate governance practices. She has experience in advising on high profile and landmark mandates across the region, including advising Oil and Retail Business Public Company on its IPO on the SET – the second largest IPO of a Thai company to date.
Itir Ciftci - Ciftci Attorney Partnership, Turkey
Itir Ciftci leads the corporate practice at Ciftci Attorney Partnership, Clifford Chance’s local partner in Turkey. One of the most prominent M&A lawyers in the market, she has more than 25 years’ experience and a track record of working on complex cross border transactions.
Samantha Hutchinson - Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft, United Kingdom
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft partner Samantha Hutchinson has built a reputation for her fund finance expertise. She has advised on a number of high-value subscription and leveraged deals and has been fairly prolific in the volume of transactions she has helped close.
Sanja Udovicic - Shearman & Sterling, United Kingdom
Shearman & Sterling London partner Sanja Udovicic boasts almost 25 years’ experience with the firm. A project finance specialist, she has expertise advising lenders on energy and natural resources projects. Her recent work highlights feature deals in Africa, Asia-Pacific and South America, advising lenders in relation to the Temane IPP in Mozambique, the Subic Bay Port project in Philippines, and the Acu LNG project in Brazil.
Articles and interviews
Global
- IFLR Market Poll: women lawyers disproportionately affected by Covid-19
- Women Empowering Change: getting more women into leadership roles with American Bar Association, ISDA, Bank for International Settlements – BIS, The Women's Foundation Association of Corporate Counsel, Baker McKenzie, and Hogan Lovells
Americas
United States
- ‘Every organisation must start somewhere’: Veta T Richardson, the Association of Corporate Counsel
- Gender and race in the legal industry: Mary Akhimiem, Bank of America
- New York based Kirkland & Ellis partner Erica Berthou: gender in the legal profession in the United States and her firm's accomplishments in promoting diversity and inclusion
- New York Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton partner Margaret Peponis: gender disparity in the US legal proffession and how she and the firm participate in forums and groups focussed on advancing women lawyers
- Women in Dealmaking Podcast: in conversation with Germaine Gurr, White & Case
Asia-Pacific
Hong Kong
- Sidley Austin executive committee member and joint head of funds and derivatives, Effie Vasilopoulos: challenges women and mothers in the legal profession have faced through the majority of her career, improvements in the last recent past and how clients can play a role in improving diversity at law firms
- Hong Kong based Morgan Lewis & Bockius partner and funds specialist Alice Huang: her experiences in Asia and the United States and explains how the firm has been working hard to ensure improve diversity and inclusion within the business
India
-
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co partner Veena Sivaramakrishnan: her opinions on gender equality in India's legal profession
Indonesia
- Jakarta-based Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners partner, Indri Pramitaswari Guritno: how her firm's flexible working policy attempts to support lawyers with families and the importance of training and mentoring in helping women achieve senior positions within the profession
New Zealand
- Bell Gully partner Anna Buchly: the current and past landscape of diversity and inclusion in the New Zealand legal industry
Europe, Middle East and Africa
Channel Islands: Jersey
- Head of funds at Mourant Ozannes in Jersey, Felicia de Laat: the challenges of tackling ingrained gender imbalanaces and structural and unconscious biases
Finland
- White & Case Helsinki partner Tanja Törnkvist: gender diversity in the Finnish legal profession including the high volume entering of women entering the profession but the relatively low number in senior positions
Ireland
- Matheson partners Julie Murphy-O'Connor and Tara Doyle: work-life balance, the firm's commitment to diversity and inclusion, and useful advice on how to develop
Italy
- BonelliErede banking and finance partner Catia Tomasetti: challenges for women in the legal community and outside it in Italy
Mauritius
- Partner at BLC Robert & Associates in Mauritius Valerie Bisasur: how her mentality helped overcome discrimination in her early career and how the environment in Mauritius has improved greatly but till requires work
Poland
- Dentons Europe Dąbrowski & Partners partner Aldona Kowalczyk: gender equailty in the Polish legal market, including positives like the work of The Women in Law Foundation and issues with employment law
- Warsaw based Norton Rose Fulbright Piotr Strawa and Partners partner Magdalena Zienkiewicz: how to progress in the legal profession
Portugal
- Women in Law - a reply to my daughter’s sincere question: Catarina-Brito-Ferreira, Morais Leitao
Russia
- Managing partner of Akin Gump in Moscow, Natalia Baratiants: experiences with gender equality in the legal profession in Russia and how her firm encourages diversity
Switzerland
- Head of insolvency and restructuring at Lenz & Staehelin in Switzerland, Tanja Luginbühl: how the Swiss legal market and her firm are address are addressing gender diversity, and where the market could do more
United Kingdom
- Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft London partner Samantha Hutchinson: challenges for working mothers in the legal profession and how the firm supports women and promotes diversity
- Ropes & Gray London partner Eve Ellis: why the firm's gender policy convinced her to join the firm