‘Falling into’ the wrong career or legal specialism is common. Causes include: a lack of career advice when young, career options bias from parents or teachers, not making time to develop a thought through career strategy, or the needs of an employer determining which legal department a trainee has a seat during their training contract, impacting future options.

Mid-career, solicitors can find themselves lacking career fulfilment with regrets – easily preventable. There are now more career options for solicitors than ever before. How can you ensure that you find your career ‘True North’?

The purpose of the event is to support junior and mid-career solicitors to make informed career choices at major career crossroads in a fast-changing legal market, with ongoing uncertainty and the unknown impact of AI.  Finding your True North is vital with longer working lives and to maximise career fulfilment

This panel event with 5 guest speakers who chose diverse careers in the law will share insights, tips and inspiration. Drinks and canapes will be served.

There will be time for networking and the opportunity to ask questions.

Your hosts are Rachel Brushfield, The Talent Liberator ™ , founder of EnergiseLegal and Philip Lewis, Business Matchmaker.

More info

Venue name: Barclays Moorgate

Venue address: 120 Moorgate, London

Venue postcode: EC2M 6UR

Event starts: 17.30pm GMT

Event ends: 19.45pm GMT

Ticket names and prices:

Ticket name: Westminster and Holborn Law Society members
Ticket price £6.

Ticket name: Westminster and Holborn Law Society non-members
Ticket price £12.

Agenda

17:30 Registration, drinks and networking

18:00 Welcome and introductions

18:10 Panel discussion

19.00 Q+A

19.15 Drinks and networking

19.45 Event ends

Panellists X 5

Daniel Winterfeldt MBE KC (Hon)General Counsel | Board and C-Suite Advisor | Capital markets, M&As, Governance | FT Legal Innovator

Daniel is a general counsel with over 27-years’ experience acting as a team leader and trusted advisor to clients, the C-suite, and boards. Most recently, Daniel worked as General Counsel EMEA & Asia at Jefferies, a global investment bank, for five years. Prior to that Daniel worked as an associate, then partner, in private practice at several law firms, including Weil Gotshal and CMS. Daniel was named “Legal Innovator of the Year” at the Financial Times (FT) Innovative Lawyers Awards in 2012. In 2020, appointed by Queen Elizabeth as Queen’s Counsel Honoris Causa (Honorary QC) as well as an MBE for contributions to capital markets and diversity, inclusion, and culture in the legal sector.

Rumana Bennett, senior consultant employment lawyer at Saltworks Law

Rumana originally trained in immigration and litigation then retrained as an employment law specialist in the City. Rumana has recent experience of the performing arts/charity sectors. She has 20 years’ PQE and works at Saltworks Law, a Community Interest Company (CIC), where a percentage of her fee goes directly to the charity ATLEU (the Anti-Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit), which provides legal support to survivors of trafficking and slavery. Rumana has an active interest in promoting kinder, neuroinclusive workplaces and in supporting the retention of women going through perimenopause/menopause and gives talks on both. Rumana is now exploring how her skillset might be used within the BCorp model.

Gabriel Rodriguez, Partner, Carbon Law Partners

Gabriel Rodriguez is a Partner at Carbon Law Partners. He is an experienced Commercial Litigator and multi-faceted communicator. His broad career and education to date marry a legal eye with a creative and adaptable mind for the benefit of his clients. He originally trained as an actor, performing in theatres as well as working in events catering and education for children. He qualified as a lawyer in 2017, joining Shoosmiths, before moving to Carbon Law Partners in January 2025. The main thread of his career is communication in the form of legal writing, theatrical or voice performance, presenting, workshop facilitation or creative writing. He was born in Scotland and speaks Spanish.

Lydia Brookes, Arts manager and freelance musician (oboe)

Senior manager in the music sector, including Deputy Director and Interim CEO roles at Sinfonia Smith Square and Tenebrae. A qualified solicitor with over 10 years’ legal experience spanning financial, public and voluntary sectors, and 8 years’ board experience in the arts, Lydia trained at Clifford Chance in London and Rome, joining the capital markets team on qualification. She later moved to Stone King, specialising in education and charities law as a Senior Associate and subsequently as a professional support lawyer. After deciding not to pursue partnership in private practice, she moved into the arts and now has a portfolio career combining arts management with performing as a freelance musician.

Kavitha Joseph, Founder and Principal Solicitor, Lynwood Solicitors

Kavitha Joseph is the Founder and Principal Solicitor of Lynwood Solicitors. She founded the firm in 2016 and has since built a growing team of eight, including employed and consultant lawyers, with expertise across property, private client and corporate law. She began her career in corporate law, working on M&A and asset management, before specialising in property. Kavitha now advises individuals, investors and businesses on residential and commercial matters. Through her leadership, she is building a welcoming platform for like-minded professionals and setting a standard for modern, client-focused legal services, while maintaining strong traditional legal expertise. She is a strong advocate for female empowerment and actively supports community non-profit organisations that help graduates and professionals develop their careers.