Lisa appointed partner in top London legal firm

Lisa appointed partner in top London legal firm

23 September 2020

FROM head girl to leading international lawyer — that’s the impressive career path of Annacloy woman Lisa McLaughlin who has just been made partner in a top law firm.

The 42 year-old helped set up the Belfast office of Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) in 2011, which now services corporate clients throughout the world. 

The head of HSF’s Alternative Legal Services (ALS), Lisa was one of 26 new partners recently announced by the firm, and the second partner named for the ALS division since 2017.

Commenting on the appointments, the firm’s CEO-elect, Justin D’Agostino, said: “Our new partners are all hugely talented lawyers who demonstrate our ongoing investment in our business, including our pro bono practice.

“I am particularly delighted that half of our new partners are women, a clear demonstration of the firm’s ongoing commitment to gender diversity within the legal profession.”

While the mother-of-two is based in Belfast, she is head of the global ALS division and is responsible for teams working throughout the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Lisa graduated in Law and Accountancy from Queen’s University Belfast in 2001 after leaving Assumption Grammar School, in Ballynahinch, where she was head girl. She is also a past pupil of Holy Family Primary School in Teconnaught.

Lisa spent eight years working with HSF in London before she got the chance to open up the new Belfast office, with fellow partner Libby Jackson.

She explained: “We started in April, 2011 with 19 people in Belfast and grew the team to over 200 people. 

“I also set up our Johannesburg team in 2017 and our global team within the firm is approximately 400 people across Belfast/London/New York/Johannesburg, led by myself, with other teams in Shanghai and Australia too.

“Before lockdown and the Covid-19 pandemic, I would have travelled a lot to our London office and also to Johannesburg and our other international teams, so my kids are definitely glad to have me travelling less.”

Her career has soared over the last few years with Lisa being named the Institute of Directors NI’s International Director of the Year last year.

Her Belfast office also just scooped two awards at the LegalIsland Northern Ireland Equality and Diversity Awards 2020 — one for Best LGBT Initiative and the other for Best Employer for Equality and Diversity NI

Lisa is the eldest of five children to Paddy and Nuala Mahon and says that a hard work ethic was instilled in the family from an early age.

“My dad had worked as a nurse for many years while my mum was an accountant in the civil service. It was a busy house with two working parents — but both were fantastic role models to all of us,” she added.

Local ties, particularly with Assumption Grammar School remain important to Lisa, who lives in Belfast with her husband, Reuben, and children Ella (10) and seven year-old Oscar.

“I was privileged to go back to Assumption last year for the first time since I left in 1996 to present at the GCSE/A-Level prize-giving and give the keynote speech to the students,” said Lisa.

“We have also been working closely with the school over the last year as part of the recently launched ‘SistersInLeadership’ programme, which seeks to give lower sixth students practical experience and leadership skills in a variety of workplaces.”