Black History Month 2023

Naomi Lapite, an Assistant Manager in our Global Mobility team, talked with Winsome Levy, a sole practitioner barrister at Tupwood Chambers, about her career experiences to-date, and the challenges she has faced working in a predominantly white-male industry.

Winsome started out working in social care, and it was not until her early-mid 30s that she began studying to become a lawyer, all while raising her first child, and subsequently having a second child part way through her studies. An “older”, black, female, working mother navigating a predominantly white-male industry, there were a number of barriers facing Winsome. In line with the theme of “Saluting our Sisters” this interview seeks to celebrate what Winsome has accomplished and shine a light on issues of racial inequality in the wider professional services industry.

Winsome has gone on to be incredibly successful in her own right, but it was not without its challenges. We all have a responsibility to make the society we live in an equitable and inclusive for people of colour and women.

Naomi says “Growing up as the daughter of two black solicitors working in the UK, I am keenly aware of the prejudice and assumptions people of colour can face as professionals in the legal service industry, so I was grateful for the opportunity to hear more about Winsome’s experiences, and the challenges she has faced.”