A Lunch and Learn webinar with Dana Denis-Smith OBE
To celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, we invited Dana Denis-Smith OBE, CEO of B Corp-certified Obelisk Support and founder of the First 100 Years Campaign, to talk to us during a special Lunch and Learn webinar session for our team members.
In 2010, Dana became a legal sector pioneer when she set up Obelisk Support, a business that was awarded B Corp accreditation in 2024 which has a clear social-impact mission: to keep outstanding legal talent in the law.
Founded on the principle of #HumanFirst, Obelisk Support helps legal teams and law firms boost capacity in a cost-effective and agile way by connecting them with pre-vetted, high-quality, flexible legal support powered by the company’s pool of experienced, mostly City-trained lawyers and best-in-class paralegals.
In 2014, Dana founded The First 100 Years project to celebrate the history of women in law and ensure a strong and equal future for all women in the legal profession. Today, Dana continues her mission with The Next 100 Years, a project dedicated to advocating for key issues for women in law and inspiring the next generation of female lawyers.
Dana is a woman of remarkable achievements: in addition to being a former Magic Circle lawyer, a highly successful entrepreneur and charity founder, she is also a TEDx speaker, a Law Society Council member, a globally recognised advocate for women and a champion of gender equality. She was awarded an OBE in the 2024 New Year’s Honours List for her services to women in law.
During our Lunch and Learn event, Dana shared with us her remarkable and unconventional career journey, from growing up under communism in Romania to becoming a Magic Circle lawyer before going on to found her business and start her own charity.
She highlighted the challenges women face in the legal profession, including the gender pay gap and flexible working. Dana also discussed the success of the First 100 Years project, which celebrated women in law and created a library of role models to inspire future generations of female lawyers.
She also shared her advice for the next generation for lawyers, emphasising the importance of resilience and adaptability, especially in the face of technological changes.
This thought-provoking and fascinating session concluded with a Q&A round, in which we addressed topics such as imposter syndrome and the future of women in law.
Many thanks to Dana for taking the time to meet with us and share some insights into her fascinating and hugely diverse career.
Make sure you keep an eye on our social media channels for some exclusive video snippets of her key takeaways.