The legal profession has never been an easy road for women. It’s been a world of glass ceilings, closed doors, and outdated structures. At Woodstock, we don’t sit around as “that’s the way things have always been”, we’re looking to challenge the traditional law firm model.

This International Women’s Day 2025, we’re embracing the theme "Accelerate Action" by celebrating the women in our firm doing exactly that: reshaping the legal industry, breaking down barriers, and proving that flexibility can coincide with legal excellence.

Women Leading the Way at Woodstock

Law has traditionally been a man’s game. But here, women are leading from the front, balancing expertise, leadership, and life in a way that challenges the industry's outdated norms.

• Carly Jermyn, our Managing Director, runs a thriving law firm while raising three boys. She knows firsthand that leadership and family life aren’t mutually exclusive.
• Natasha Boyland, our Head of Risk & Operations, keeps our firm at the peak of governance and compliance.
• Anna Hughes, our Head of Landlord & Tenant, leads an award-winning team, mentors the next generation, and pioneers a fresh approach to law.

At every level of Woodstock, women are leading with strength, innovation, and impact, proving that talent, not tradition, should define success in law.

Flexibility That Works for Everyone

At the current rate of progress, full gender parity is still five generations away. That’s 2158 – long after any of us will see it.

By prioritising flexibility and choice, we’re dismantling the rigid structures that hold women back. Our model works for:

• Working parents balancing careers with family life.
• Professionals who want control over their time without sacrificing ambition.
• Those easing into retirement, choosing to scale back without being forced out.

But flexibility isn’t just for women.

Yes, we have many women in leadership and consultancy roles at Woodstock, and, naturally, this model has been a game-changer for working mothers. Our model provides the flexibility to balance careers with family life. But what about working fathers?

We’ve seen more and more men take the leap into consultancy because it allows them to support their partners’ careers too. In many industries, women’s progress has been stalled by the expectation that they will carry the heavier load at home. When men embrace flexible working, it redistributes the balance, making it possible for more women to step into leadership, grow their businesses, or return to careers they love.

At Woodstock, we’re seeing this shift firsthand. Men chose consultancy to share responsibilities at home, be more present with their children, or give their partners the space to focus on their careers. It’s a shift that benefits both men and women – ultimately, the entire legal industry. An equal legal profession is built on opportunity, balance, and the freedom to succeed without compromise. When careers are shaped around real lives, rather than outdated expectations, everyone benefits.

We’re more likely to achieve gender equality when we all take action – it’s not a battle for women to fight alone.

What’s Next? We Keep Moving Forward

The legal industry is changing. But not fast enough.

This IWD 2025, we reaffirm our commitment to:

• Backing women at every stage of their careers – mentoring, supporting, and bringing more of them into leadership.
• Keeping flexibility at the heart of what we do, so legal careers work for real lives, not outdated expectations.
• Encouraging more men to step up as active participants in a fairer system. That means embracing flexibility, sharing responsibilities at home, and supporting the women they work alongside.

To the incredible women at Woodstock, in law, and beyond, and those supporting, and pushing for change alongside them - Happy International Women’s Day.