Lawyers Aasha Foley, Olivia Day, Shannon Whyte and Simmi Singh of iCLAW Hamilton organised a clothing drive with local women in the Waikato business community ahead of hosting the inaugural “SupportHER sale” a Dress for Success event intended to raise funds and celebrate International Women’s Day.
All the proceeds raised from the sale of preloved designer clothing at the SupportHER sale are used to support Dress for Success Hamilton, a not-for-profit organisation that exists to help Waikato women to thrive in life and work through a free employment dressing and development programme.
While successful in their own careers, they all know how difficult it can be for women trying to get back on the employment ladder, for whatever reason.
As working mums, they all went through the challenge of coming back to work after maternity leave and know how hard the juggling act can be.
Having children is an experience that differs for everyone. This was quite keenly felt when they all fell pregnant at around the same time.
The initial shock of realising four integral members of the team would be out of action was quickly subdued by their efforts to come up with solutions that suited iCLAW and their individual careers.
“We spent a great deal of time talking with one another about what support in returning to work would look like, and what structure and support we would need to develop as a both a team and as a business for that,” Aasha says.
The systems and support that enabled flexibility at iCLAW proved to be crucial for these women, for very different reasons.
Being the now mother of two boys meant managing partner Aasha had valuable insight into what returning to work might look like for the other three.
“Having previously experienced maternity leave in 2019, returning to work in 2020 we learnt as a firm, some valuable lessons about our operational structure including the strengths of women when working in a supportive environment. It was important to us that we were able to emulate that support for our staff; I personally strive to show our team that we can lead the way in having both a rewarding career and a family,” Aasha says.
“65% of our firm are women, and so one thing we discuss often is the ‘mental load’ and fatigue that we seem to all juggle daily in both our personal and working lives. That support network exists because of the culture we have as a firm. It’s critical to hear feedback from one another, particularly that we all battle that internal monologue.”
For Olivia managing the return to work meant taking the full year of maternity leave off to learn how to manage her daughter’s medical needs.
“My daughter has severe allergies so she’s still not in daycare. I’m very fortunate with the flexible working arrangements I have with iCLAW that allow me to work from home two days a week along with the great support I have at home. It is a privilege to be surrounded by people who understand the challenges of motherhood and the back to work juggle like these women do.” Olivia says.
For Simmi balancing career and family meant returning to work sooner to put time into the work that she loves.
“I returned to work after only six months of maternity leave, which was important as it allowed me to get part of my identity back and do something for me. Being a lawyer is a big part of who I am. My child and our family are always a top priority, however what I quickly learnt was that it is also okay to do something for yourself (thanks to my incredibly supportive family). I really enjoy the flexibility around my role as well. Legal advice can be produced from anywhere at any time, you just need a good team,” Simmi says.
Shannon returned to work when her daughter Mila was six months old, but it wasn’t smooth sailing.
“Settling into my return to work took some time. Our daughter has severe eczema which presented itself at around five months old and has been troublesome to manage. Returning to work meant I was able to get something back for myself – I’m passionate about working with people, and of course the much-needed adult interaction,” Shannon says.
“I’ve been fortunate to have a team of ladies around me experiencing motherhood together – that support has been invaluable.”
Taking maternity leave wasn’t a time for them to fall off their career path, in fact, their contributions and value to the firm was recognised during their maternity leave when Aasha announced to Olivia, Shannon and Simmi their promotion to Associates of the firm.
“The promotion reassured us of our roles in the firm, we were being recognised as the upcoming leaders,” Simmi says.
“It was a confidence boost, one that can be much needed after maternity leave.” Shannon says.
This promotion has meant taking on the responsibility of mentoring other young lawyers, armed with valuable insight from both their experience at work and as parents to young children.
“With everyone now back on board, we are proud to have a built a team of mentors that can provide their support, with the added value of experience, to our next generation,” Aasha says.
Managing partner Aasha Foley is a specialised strategic commercial lawyer, specialising in structuring, property, finance, and employment advice. Aasha’s diverse expertise includes managing complex mixed-use developments, governance, mergers and acquisitions and intellectual property.
Olivia Day specialises in employment law and both employers and employees on a diverse range of matters. Olivia also has diverse experience in all areas of property and commercial law her expertise includes structuring and shareholders agreements.
Shannon Whyte specialises as a commercial lawyer with expertise in property, finance, and relationship property. Shannon’s general practice experience extends across all areas of commercial law including structuring advice utilising Trusts and Partnerships.
Simmi Singh comes from a dispute resolution background. She now predominately works in iCLAW’s corporate commercial team specialising in intellectual property rights.
