Pushing Through Barriers

It’s incredible to look back on my childhood and see just how far I’ve come — from the super shy little girl who looked different from everyone around her to a partner at one of the leading global law firms who’s valued for her unique perspective.

I was born in the UK and lived in a small town in Scotland where I was the only diverse person in my class. It was challenging at times, especially for a reserved child like me. I experienced both overt racism and more subtle racism, and I didn’t understand why I was the only one being treated this way.

When I was eight, we moved to Saudi Arabia, which had a large expat community. This gave me a lot of exposure to people with various cultural backgrounds, and I was able to see and appreciate for the first time the value different perspectives can bring.

These two very different childhood experiences helped shape me into who I am today. My family was there for me in both scenarios, and they gave me the confidence to push through barriers and discomfort instead of viewing them as a reason to stop.

I carried that mindset with me when I decided to pursue a business career and then a legal career. My family is Bangladeshi, and most of them went into higher education to become doctors. In the funniest way, they couldn’t understand why I wanted to go into business. But I knew I wanted to try something different. I figured, it may work, it may not, but it shouldn’t stop me from trying. After working in the investment banking world for a couple of years, I moved to Miami for law school, where I was once again in a position of having to prove myself as a diverse woman taking a different path.

These experiences — from my childhood through my early law career — not only made me stronger personally, but also made me more empathetic toward others. As I’ve gotten more senior in my law career, I’ve always been aware of what others can bring to the table. There aren’t a ton of South Asian women in the capital markets field, so I’m happy to be an example. I try to mentor women and diverse individuals, even if they’re not in my practice area. I try to get across to them that you don’t have to see someone who looks like you in order to succeed. Nor do you have to take the traditional path in order to succeed. Don’t take these things as a sign that you shouldn’t pursue your goals and your dreams.

I’m so grateful to be at Kirkland, which I’ve found to be a place that really emphasizes the importance of diversity. And it’s not just racial diversity — Diversity in thought is super valued here. You’re always encouraged to present your own point of view. Our attorneys have different backgrounds and have taken different paths to get to where they are, but these differences are an asset to our teams.

So as I’m mentoring future leaders at the Firm, I always encourage them to stick with it. You don’t need to feel comfortable or fit in at all times. In fact, your differences may very well end up being your greatest strengths.