Laura Conduit - Farrer & Co - Women in Luxury Property
Laura Conduit - Farrer & Co LLP
Partner
Law – residential property and secured lending
Why do you think it is important to celebrate International Women’s Day?
Because women are utterly fabulous. As are the men who support use, and recognise the challenges we face.
Have you faced any challenges in your career as a woman and if so, how did you overcome them?
Attending MIPIM pregnant (but under 12 weeks) and being interrogated for not drinking by some male bankers - who should know better - was a low point. I stopped working with them and built new, better relationships with people deserving of my time.
Is there another woman on whom you would like to shine a light, in the luxury property industry and why?
My team contains some extraordinarily talented female lawyers, all operating at the highest levels in this space - my brilliant partner, Annabel Dean; Jenna Whistler (a fellow LPF member); Susanna O’Leary; Kate Chatters; Lindsay Cunningham; Francesca Steel and Drusilla Bridges (both currently on family leave); Heather Macdonald; and Marie-Claire Long. I couldn’t do my job without them.
How can we encourage more women to pursue entrepreneurship or senior leadership roles in the luxury property industry?
While we still “expect women to work like they don’t have children and raise children as if they don’t work” - Amy Westervelt – Forget Having It All - this will continue to be a challenge. Championing and supporting other women is vital and I’m fortunate to have worked with some very important men in my career who understand this – notably, Richard Berns, Stephen Solomons, Edmund Fetherston-Dilke and Laurie Horwood who have all encouraged and enabled my ambitions – as I, in turn, now support other women both within my own firm and in the wider industry.
What is the best advice you have been given?
Focus on your own desk, i.e. don’t compare yourself to others just do the best you can do.
At The Luxury Property Forum we truly believe in “you cannot be what you cannot see”.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, throughout March we are shining a light on our wonderfully inspiring female members who are all leaders in luxury property. If you are an LPF Member and would like to celebrate a senior female member of the your team, please get in touch at marketing@theluxurypropertyforum.com