KATIE
PIGOU
ASSOCIATE, CLYDE & CO
2018, 2019 & 2020 Women In Law Executive
“Don’t self-select out of opportunities because you think you’re not good enough - you do belong, and you deserve a seat at the table.”
Can you tell us a little about your journey since leaving university?
In my penultimate year of university, I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to do, and wasn’t completely convinced that Big Law / corporate law was “for me”. However I ended up summer clerking at Bell Gully, and really enjoyed being in the employment law team which is where I joined as a graduate and spent the first three years of my career. I then took some time to travel and moved to London - where I am now working in the employment law team at Clyde & Co.
What challenges have you faced, and how have you navigated them?
During my first year of work, I experienced some significant personal challenges, including facing the loss of one of my closest friends. It was a tough time for me personally, but I was grateful to be supported both in my personal and professional life by people who really cared. I choose to mention this here, because it taught me a few key lessons early on in my career - including how valuable a supportive work environment really is, and the importance of perspective in our work. We spend a lot of our day to day lives at work, and working somewhere where you find people that ‘get you’ and support you truly is invaluable, particularly when life throws its unexpected challenges at you. The way I coped during that time was to take the support offered to me and to be open with people about how I was feeling - it also has taught me that whilst there can be challenging aspects of our careers, it is really important to try to keep a healthy perspective and ensure we enjoy our lives outside of work too.
hOW DID YOUR TIME IN WOMEN IN LAW SHAPE OR INFLUENCE YOU?
I loved being part of Women in Law because it was a way to connect with others at law school who also wanted to form community and ensure better support networks and opportunities were present in law school. It taught me a lot about what it means to be an effective leader and how valuable connection and friendship is in a career such as law. It is so exciting to see WIL go from strength to strength and I look forward to following along the WIL journey for many years to come!
What advice would you give to students and young professionals entering the legal profession today?
My first piece of advice is not to self-select out of applying for a role because you don’t think you are good enough or skilled enough. Too many people (women, in particular) do this and miss out on opportunities because of the small-but-persistent voice in their head that tells them they don’t belong, and trust me, me and many of my girlfriends know this voice too well! The truth is, you do belong and you deserve a seat at the table, regardless of your background or circumstances - we really need more diverse and inclusive workplaces with people from a variety of perspectives and backgrounds.
Also, if you can - find a mentor or person you want to learn from. Ask them questions and observe their leadership style. In corporate law firms in particular, I believe the culture trickles down from the top; so my best advice is to be observant and thoughtful about where you want to commence your career, and consider what kind of leader you want to learn from. This can make all the difference in shaping the kind of lawyer (and leader) you’ll eventually become.
Is there a mantra, value, or piece of wisdom you carry with you in your work?
My boss and mentor at Bell Gully always said TWMTDW (team work makes the dream work) (shout out to Liz Coats). We would always laugh when we said this out loud but the truth is, working in law is a demanding career that requires you to perform at a high level, often under pressure. In my view, it is really difficult to reach that desired level of excellence without a committed and supportive team around you - excellence takes a village.