Following the announcement of Rachel Soh’s appointment as the second partner in Arnold Bloch Leibler’s employment and workplace advisory practice, Rachel and practice head Bridget Little tell Lawyers Weekly how they collaborate to provide seamless leadership that fosters both professional success and personal fulfilment for their team.
In a wide-ranging conversation with reporter Grace Robbie, Rachel and Bridget outline their diverse paths to partnership, with Rachel describing her journey as having been less traditional. “I’m a firm believer in running your own race,” she said. “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.”
Bridget’s path to partnership unfolded more rapidly as opportunities presented themselves. “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,” she said.
Since Bridget’s promotion to the partnership six year ago, the practice has double in size and more than doubled its revenue, with both Bridget and Rachel saying that their shared vision for the team has allowed them to navigate the rapidly evolving legal landscape and meet clients’ diverse and dynamic needs.
“Clients are looking for real people, excellent and honest advice, and lawyers who aren’t afraid to make genuine connections,” Bridget said. “It leads to better advice, better interactions, and better results.”
And in terms of how they cultivate a team culture that reflects and respects the fact that lawyers have lives outside the office, Rachel explains it this way: “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. Bridget agrees. “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.”
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