The diverse paths to partnership

In a profession that often prioritises a one-size-fits-all approach to career progression, Little and Soh exemplify the power of forging unique paths to partnership.

Soh reflected on the unique path that had led her to her partnership position: “I’ve had a less traditional legal career before really finding my home in private practice. I’m a firm believer in running your own race. It’s easy to get caught up in pushing for progression because that’s where you think you’re ‘meant to be’.”

Soh underscored her careful and considerate approach when deciding to become a legal partner due to the demanding nature of the legal profession.

“The legal industry, particularly at this level, is demanding both professionally and personally. I have a young family, and after speaking with senior mentors, I wanted to approach partnership deliberately, as a shared family decision, and after my husband and I put a lot of thought into getting the right structures and support around us,” Soh said.

In contrast, Little’s journey to partnership unfolded more rapidly than she expected. She highlighted that her swift progress resulted from her proactive approach to seizing the opportunities that came her way.

“My pathway to partnership was swifter than I expected but was a case of opportunity knocking. If I reflect, that is probably a core value of mine and one that has shaped my career,” Little said.

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Little revealed that the rapid attainment of partnership coincided with several significant life events happening simultaneously.

“It did mean that a lot of big life events happened more or less simultaneously, including partnership, starting a family, and taking over the practice, but I leaned into the madness, threw out the life plan I thought I had to follow, and (mostly!) have had much more fun as a result,” Little said.

Working with others to provide seamless leadership

Each person has their own unique approach to demonstrating leadership. However, Little and Soh expressed the importance of cohesive leadership as it ensures that your team can reach its full potential and operate effectively.

Despite her and Little’s contrasting personalities, Soh reflected that they have cultivated a bond and a commitment to fostering a dynamic team culture.

“Bridget and I are different personalities, but we have shared values in respect of the team culture we want to achieve – respectful, supportive, collegiate and dynamic,” Soh said.

Soh acknowledged the challenges of collaborative leadership, noting that it is “not always seamless”. However, she emphasised the importance of open and ongoing communication with your other leadership members to help assist.

Little observed that sharing a common vision with Soh regarding the direction in which they want to lead the firm has proven advantageous in their interactions and mutual support for each other.

“We have complementary styles and have always had a shared vision for how we want the team to run. We leverage off that, and for many years, we have stepped in and out of each other’s matters to add value, and interchangeably taken the lead or backseat with developing team members so they can learn from both of us,” Bridget said.

Growing a firm and providing practical advice to clients

Navigating the ever-evolving legal landscape can present challenges when it comes to effectively meeting clients’ diverse and dynamic needs.

To address this, Little emphasised the importance of lawyers establishing genuine and sincere connections and engagement with their clients, noting that this is what clients seek in their legal representation.

“Clients are looking for real people, excellent and honest advice, and lawyers who aren’t afraid to make genuine connections. It leads to better advice, better interactions, and better results,” Little said.

Little commented: “I have shaped the practice to reflect that, encourage the team to let their personalities come through, and favour a phone call or a face-to-face with a client over a lengthy memo, any day.”

Soh disclosed that clients are increasingly looking for legal advice that is “highly commercial” and “nuanced and empathetic”.

She also emphasised the importance of lawyers considering legal and non-legal aspects when working towards favourable outcomes for their clients.

“A good outcome when it comes to employment issues requires consideration of both legal and non-legal drivers in equal measure. More often than not, it can be attention to the non-legal factors that can secure a good outcome for the client,” Soh said.

Having adopted this approach to assist clients, Arnold Bloch Leibler has achieved significant success, the partners submitted, with their practice doubling in size and more than doubling in revenue over the past five years.

Advice for firm leaders wanting to cultivate a culture that enables their lawyers to maintain work/life balance

By achieving this within their own team, Soh and Little offer valuable insights into creating a culture that fosters both professional success and personal fulfilment for lawyers.

Soh emphasised the importance of cultivating an environment where individuals can bring their whole selves to work, promoting authenticity and holistic wellbeing.

“I think the ideal is to have healthy, vibrant lives both in and outside of the office. Working at a firm that allows you to bring and be your whole self at work goes a really long way to achieving this,” Soh said.

Little echoed this sentiment by encouraging legal leaders to create an environment where individuals feel comfortable sharing their personal experiences.

“There are nine lawyers in the team, and at any one time there is inevitably something (wonderful or hard) going on in each of their lives. We have always encouraged the team to be open with us, talk to us, and to take good care of their outside lives and relationships,” Little said.