There is "no longer a one-size-fits-all approach to family life", Hannah Turton says
Motherhood has made Hannah Turton a better lawyer, she believes.
In the first part of this May interview, the Bell Gully senior associate cites the choice to return to full-time practice after giving birth to her first child as her proudest accomplishment for the past year, and urges fellow lawyers who are parents to be direct as to what arrangements will work best for their individual family situations.
What made you choose a career in law, and what's your favourite part of the job?
One of my English teachers at Ashburton College planted the seed with me that perhaps law was an avenue I could pursue. Once it became quite clear I wasn’t going to be a professional sportsperson and numbers weren’t my strong suit, law then seemed like the natural place for me to land. I went off to law school and after a couple of summers getting work experience at Argyle Welsh Finnigan in my hometown, I knew that corporate law was for me and completed a summer clerkship at Bell Gully.
My favourite part of the job is definitely the people. I love being part of a very collaborative and supportive team and creating relationships with our clients. I really enjoy the fact that not one person can get a deal across the line, everyone has to be working together towards a common goal.
What has been your proudest accomplishment in the last year or so? Or what’s the biggest lesson you learned in the past year and what advice can you give fellow lawyers about it?
I think my proudest accomplishment in the last year would be my return to work as a senior associate in the private equity team at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in London after having our daughter Sophia. As a first-time mum, I definitely had some conflicting feelings around my return to work, and also had to process some opinions as to when is the best time to do it and how. For me, although I loved being at home with Sophia, I was really excited to return to work, and given the nature of my job I decided to go back full-time.
I was lucky enough to have a very supportive husband that jumped at the opportunity to take some time off from his career be a stay-at-home dad, and for us that is what worked. I also had some nerves about how I would cope being back in a deal environment, but that feeling was short-lived and I think that becoming a mum has actually made me a better lawyer.
My advice to fellow lawyers would be to not be afraid to be upfront and open as to what you think will work for you and your family. We are allowed to enjoy our jobs and be great parents. There is no longer a one size fits all approach to family life and you just have to own it.
What are you looking forward to the most in the coming year?
I am looking forward to settling into my role as a senior associate back at Bell Gully,
reconnecting with colleagues and clients and bringing back some of my overseas experience. It has been really nice to see familiar faces, and to meet some new ones too. We have an exciting deal pipeline ahead of us, and I can’t wait to get stuck in.
