October 2019 Issue

‘Wellbeing, mental health, and anxiety should be seen as core business issues for law firms with clear and evidenced benefits in terms of costs, retention, and recruitment,’ according to recent research from Professor Richard Collier at Newcastle University Law School.

The research, published in June, found that despite a greater visibility of wellbeing and mental health agendas in the legal profession, there remains ‘a pervasive cultural stigma around disclosing mental health problems in the legal community’; that the sector’s approach to date has largely been to ‘encourage individual lawyers to do something about their own wellbeing whilst not addressing the broader causes of their distress’; and that those in leadership positions experiencing poor wellbeing were seen ‘to adversely impact the wellbeing of those “further down”’.

Thursday 10 October marked World Mental Health Day, the aim of which, according to the World Health Organization, is to raise awareness of mental health issues and provides an opportunity for individuals and businesses to talk about their work championing better mental health and wellbeing practices, and to discuss what more needs to be done to help those suffering with poor mental health worldwide.

In standalone articles and partner interviews, fivehundred has previously discussed various wellbeing issues facing lawyers; we even had a special focus on mental ill-health in our May issue to tie in with the UK’s Mental Health Awareness Week. But mental health and wellbeing in the profession should never be something we touch on just once a year, only to forget about until the next ‘touchpoint’ in the calendar. It is an ongoing, serious topic that should be recognised and confronted by both legal businesses and the publications that write for and about them.

With that in mind, this month’s big issue once again focuses on the crisis affecting legal professionals worldwide. We hear from Herbert Smith Freehills’ Chris Parsons on his struggles with stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as the importance of fighting stigma and creating a more inclusive and supportive workplace, while Dentons’ new Europe chief mindfulness officer, Karina Furga-Dabrowska, talks about the shame of showing vulnerability and recognising the fine line between healthy and unhealthy stress.

We also report from The Legal 500’s recent Wellbeing at the Bar roundtable, where a host of barristers, from baby juniors through to eminent silks, discussed the challenging nature of their practice areas, the general stresses and strains of the independent Bar, as well as offering some top tips on how to improve your wellbeing.

Also in this October issue, we have exclusive interviews with Norton Rose Fulbright’s Stéphanie Hamon, head of its new legal operations consulting practice; Kennedys’ first global managing partner, Suzanne Liversidge, discusses the priorities of her new role; and Nestlé GC Charles Broll shares his views on diversity in law, nurturing talent, and what he looks for in outside counsel.

There is all that and much, much more in the latest fivehundred. And remember, if you would like to contribute to future issues of the magazine, then please get in touch.

John van der Luit-Drummond