Barcelona Managing Partner, Nieves Briz, was interviewed by Spanish business portal, Economist & Jurist, about her role as a leading woman in the Spanish legal profession.

The following is a translation of the article, reprinted with permission from Economist & Jurist. The original interview, published in Spanish, is available at https://www.economistjurist.es/noticias-juridicas/mujeres-lideres-en-la-abogacia-espanola-nieves-briz-socia-directora-en-dentons-barcelona/.

Leading women in the Spanish legal profession: Nieves Briz, Managing Partner at Dentons Barcelona

The legal profession is no stranger to social dynamics. For this reason, and now more than ever, we lawyers and the rest of society are interested in knowing what the current situation of women is within the legal profession.

We interviewed Nieves Briz, Managing Partner of Dentons in Barcelona. Lawyer, President of the International Women’s Forum Spain. Member of the Board of Directors of ACG Barcelona, and Member of the Advisory Board of the Women Legal Practice of Seeliger and Conde.

How have you seen the evolution of women lawyers in the legal sector since you started your professional career?

In recent decades, female lawyers have achieved more and more recognition in both the corporate and judicial spheres. This has required a great personal effort, as well as a certain amount of rebellion to counteract certain attitudes in the professional environment, that can stand in the way of a meritocracy. I still remember my beginnings, when I regularly attended meetings where I was the only woman in a fundamentally male world. That has fortunately been changing. Undoubtedly, the evolution has been positive, but there are still challenges and we must be ambitious in addressing a problem that is not just a female issue, but a social issue. Despite the fact that women represent, according to published data, a majority of graduates, obtain better grades and are fluent in languages, the presence of women in top leadership still lags behind.

What factors do you think have improved the role of women in the legal sector?

Firstly, women themselves. Improving the role of women in the legal sector is the result of a lot of hard work, perseverance and effort to balance personal and professional life. Secondly, the legal market. It is increasingly common for our clients to demand diverse teams in their requests for proposals. This is not because it is fashionable, but because they are aware that diversity enriches teams and ultimately the quality of services. Finally, law firms have accelerated their diversity policies, some out of the conviction that it is the right thing to do, others because of market demands.

How do you see the new generation of women lawyers?

I see young women are very well prepared and they need to be proactive in taking advantage of opportunities. If I have learned something throughout my professional career, it is that it is better to take the initiative than to regret waiting for others to act. Men and women complement each other, and diversity in the teams is clearly enriching, since each one of us contributes skills and ways of approaching each issue in a different way. It is precisely this dual perspective that makes us better. We need both women and men, and neither society nor companies can afford not to make the most of all talent.