Kirkland & Ellis International LLP Partner Recognized in Management Today's Annual 35 Women Under 35
Kirkland & Ellis is pleased to announce that Rajinder Bassi, a partner in the international arbitration practice in Kirkland's London office, has been selected as one of Management Today's top 35 female businesses talents under the age of 35.
West Midlands-born Bassi is an international commercial arbitration lawyer and one of the youngest to practice in her field. Her clients have included Fortune 100 companies and governments, and her pro bono activity brought her a death-row case in Trinidad & Tobago.
"This is a great reflection of the work that Rajinder undertakes on behalf of her clients," said London partner, James Learner. "Her colleagues at Kirkland congratulate her on this prestigious recognition."
"Amid the ongoing, and often heated debate in this country, about the pros and cons of immigration and the need to attract foreign talent, it is worth noting how many of our 35 Women under 35 are originally from overseas," said Matthew Gwyther, editor of Management Today. "These women have found the UK the ideal place to rise to the highest levels of their profession.
"The impact of migration on British society is reflected in the increased number of women on the list from different ethnic backgrounds. A fresh cultural perspective is to be welcomed, especially when British business still appears to be too old, too white and too male.
"We asked corporate research company BoardEx to measure the number of UK company directors in this age bracket, from a sample of 1,419 London Stock Exchange and AIM-listed companies, and found there were 162. 142 of these were male (88%) and a mere 20 (12%) were female. This is a sobering statistic; while 30% of British managers are women it looks as if breaking through to the top job and a seat on the board remains elusive."
Selected with the help of the most established businesswomen in Britain today - as well as headhunters, think tanks, bankers and academics - the nomination panel included: Carolyn McCall, MD of Guardian Newspapers Ltd.; Professor Val Singh of Cranfield University's Centre for Developing Women Business Leaders; Glenda Stone, CEO of women's network Aurora and networking guru Carole Stone.
About Kirkland & Ellis International LLP
Kirkland & Ellis is an international law firm with 1100 lawyers located in London, Munich, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC. The London office has a reputation as a leading European private equity practice together with expertise in Corporate Restructuring, M&A and Capital Markets, Tax, Intellectual Property, Banking and Finance, International Arbitration & Litigation.
