IBA Annual Conference Copenhagen 2026
4 Oct - 9 Oct 2026
B1 4, Level 0
Session information
Navigating the mid-career maze: retention, progression and purpose
Tuesday 6 October (1115 - 1230)
B1 4, Level 0
Committee(s)
Women Lawyers' Committee
(Lead)
Bar Issues Commission
IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit
Law Firm Management Committee
Description
A candid discussion about the ‘missing middle’, why so many women leave the legal profession mid-career, and what firms and leaders can do to retain female talent. The panellists will discuss issues such as cultivating and maintaining effective sponsorship; mitigating the ‘flexibility penalty’, where flexible working is misinterpreted as a lack of ambition; navigating unique challenges and ensuring fair evaluation in business development; addressing the impact of regional factors and cultural norms on career retention; and establishing transparent promotion criteria and equal access to high-profile opportunities while overcoming unconscious bias and informal networks. Ultimately, this session aims to provide actionable insights to help law firms retain valuable female talent and avoid the organisational and business losses caused by mid-career attrition.
Session / Workshop Chair(s)
| Masako Banno | Sparkle Legal, Tokyo, Japan; Co-Chair, Women Lawyers' Committee |
Speakers
| Jaime Carey | Carey, Santiago, Chile; IBA Immediate-Past President |
| Sara Louise Carnegie | International Bar Association, London, England; Council Member, IBA Diversity & Inclusion Council |
| Marco Rizzi | Bratschi AG, Zürich, Switzerland; LPD Council Member |
| Ines Sequeira Mendes | Abreu Advogados, Lisbon, Portugal; Membership Officer, Law Firm Management Committee |
| Tshepo Shabangu | The Law Society of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa |
| Anna Zorya | Rymarz Zdort Maruta, Warsaw, Poland; Networking Officer, Women Lawyers' Committee |