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26 October 2022FeaturesInfluential Women in IPMuireann Bolger

Striving for authenticity

“A Magic Circle law firm partner once told me that I would clearly never make it as a lawyer. People can make bizarre judgements about you, when you are true to yourself, straight-talking and authentic.”

When reflecting upon these dispiriting and unkind words, there is no trace of bitterness in Alice Stephenson’s voice.

Instead, as the CEO of Stephenson Law explores the prejudices that greeted her as she entered IP, she is clear that such negativity only inspired her to prove her detractors wrong.

“I was judged for becoming a single teenage mother at 18, derided for my choice to have tattoos, and held back simply for being an outspoken woman in law. But those experiences made me the woman I am today and have inspired me to demand better for the next generation,” she says.

Now, she is the founder of a law firm and consultancy with three offices in Amsterdam, Bristol and London—and is on a mission to break down outdated stereotypes in law, and inspire authentic self-expression among lawyers.

Challenging stereotypes

Increasingly, authenticity is cited as being key to personal and professional success. But what are the issues posed to people who strive for authenticity but who feel they have to hide aspects of themselves at work, including their background, preferred appearance, sexual orientation, or even unconventional outlook on life?

For Stephenson, authenticity is about “living your life in accordance with your own core values, and not allowing anyone or anything to compromise those values”.

This is an ethos that she has tried to instil into her startup’s culture.

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