Voice of Experience: Suzanne Rab, Partner, Antitrust, King & Spalding

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“Don’t downsize your own horizons. Allow yourself to imagine what you can be,” advised Suzanne Rab, Partner at King & Spalding.

In addition to her recent completion of a book on Indian competition law, Rab, an antitrust lawyer, has been tasked with launching the UK and EU antitrust ‘on the ground’ presence of the US firm from its European hub in London. That responsibility has made her even more aware of the importance of diversity, as well as her own ability to embrace change in the legal profession.

A keen advocate for women, she encourages her colleagues not to shy away from asserting themselves. “Don’t be afraid to promote your capabilities or celebrate your achievements. Don’t get me wrong – this is not about self posturing, but is a matter of confidence in your own abilities and what you can contribute. I have found that women can be more reticent to put themselves forward. Put yourself out there for senior positions if you aspire to them.”

Growing a New Practice Area from a New Geography

“My career is a story of re-creation and renewal,” Rab began. Born in a small manufacturing town in the North of England, Rab said her career was influenced by her father’s ambitions. “He came to England to study law, from India and then Bangladesh. He passed away when I was eight, but his inspiration is important to me personally and professionally.”

She continued, “He was a great advocate for social justice, and he always said to me, ‘You’re going to be a lawyer someday.’”

Rab went on to attend Oxford University, eventually joining international law firm Freshfields as an associate. In 2008, she took on a director assignment at PwC, working with its competition economics and forensics teams. Next, she returned to private practice as a lawyer in a US based international law firm before moving to her current role at King & Spalding. The firm has a long-standing antitrust practice, but up to last year, its antitrust lawyers were all US-based. Ambitious for growth and impact, the 127-year old firm hired Rab to leverage her grasp of the international perspectives on antitrust work.

“I’m working with my colleagues in the international antitrust practice to grow what is for us a new practice area in the UK and Europe, working in constant change and renewal – characteristics which brought me here,” she said.

Rab says this is the career development that brings her the most satisfaction and pride: becoming a partner and being asked to be the first ‘on the ground’ European antitrust lawyer as part of the launch of the firm’s UK and EU antitrust practice – at the age of 39.

In addition to her work at King & Spalding, Rab has also been involved in the development of Indian competition law, as it has been implemented in stages over the past decade. She is on the threshold of publishing a book on the subject called Indian Competition Law: International Perspective* and explained that Indian competition law contains many borrowings from EU and US laws. “It’s quite a coming home in that it crystallizes our professional practice, and my cultural interests, and history,” she said. “Maybe that’s my other most fulfilling professional achievement – having a book about to be published and continuing with a day job.”

She continued, “I really believe in India and its great potential – that element of dynamism when many markets are retrenching. The people I’ve met in this process and seeing competition law in the real world where it is really needed has been rewarding.”

Rab says her work as an antitrust lawyer has involved her in quite a bit of interesting and high profile work over the years – she mentioned the first criminal cartel investigation in the UK and News Corp’s proposed acquisition of BSkyB. “But there comes a point when the substantive aspects of the work are no longer the most stimulating, and sustaining your interest and motivation becomes more about building and nurturing client relationships and growing new business. Working with my colleagues – who share a common drive for entrepreneurialism – is something I find exciting, particularly in one of the toughest legal markets in the world.”

Diversity in Law

Rab says her interest in diversity and social mobility has grown in recent years. “The issue of social mobility has become quite topical in the UK – the relative lack of opportunity in professions such as law, accountancy, and medicine linked to social classes. It’s particularly interesting now and even the deputy Prime Minister has spoken out about whether enough is being done to improve access to the legal profession.”

She explained, “I was educated in the state system, and I am not from families who sent people to universities in this country. My education was funded through scholarships and grants – and disconcerting recent surveys have shown that this is not the typical background of a City lawyer.”

“Translating worthy ideals into real change and breaking down the barriers for kids from diverse or less traditional backgrounds will not happen by the efforts of one person alone. Now being a decision maker, I can have a role in making those opportunities.”

But, she said, it is challenging to create lasting change. “At the same time, we have to avoid tokenism. Addressing social background issues can be quite difficult where for some people a career in law may not be within their frame of reference because no one in the family is a lawyer.”

When asked what can be done to address this issue, Rab said, “One step is to try to give the kids who come from more diverse and less ‘traditional’ backgrounds an opportunity to get a taste of what it is like to work in a law firm, so that they can at least begin to consider whether it might be within their potential. For example, we at King & Spalding take an open mind to those students we would consider for a mini-placement which allows students to spend between a week and a month in the office, shadowing qualified lawyers. There is value in this since having relevant experience and insight into the legal profession is a necessary first step in being considered for interview.”

She continued that the harder part is tackling the culture that may be pre-disposed to people from more traditional backgrounds or “people like us.” Some firms have shown a willingness to adjust their recruitment policies to screen for innate intellectual capabilities as well as paper academics. “But I believe it goes beyond the formal criteria for entry to addressing the attitudinal issues which militate against considering less conventional candidates for admission and promotion. Eroding this culture requires those in senior positions to speak out on the issue and to be advocates of change in what they say and do.”

“I’m encouraged that I’m not alone in this belief,” she added. “As a profession of advocates, we can be agents of change. During challenging economic times, and where there may be even more of a temptation to play safe with more traditional candidate selection this issue cannot get lost.”

Women in Law

“I don’t see gender as an overt barrier to advancement the way it was a couple of decades ago. But this does not mean that there are not challenges. The impediments to women’s advancement are often much more subtle and difficult to address,” Rab explained.

“There can be an element of isolation. You may feel the need to be tougher than your male counterparts to gain acceptance in what is a challenging profession by any standards. But I would suggest women deliberately try not to compromise their femininity. I believe women have a number of attributes that are valuable in senior positions,” she continued. “Not to generalize, but on the whole I think women tend to be better skilled in diplomacy, multitasking, and getting the job done, rather than just talking about it.”

The other main challenge, she said, surrounds work life issues. “There are the inevitable pressures of a dynamic career in a services-oriented industry. I’ve been to almost 20 different international cities in 11 months from San Francisco to Moscow. That’s a challenge to anyone regardless of gender. And when those pressures combine with the pressures of family, and when you’re the chief carer, it is difficult.”

Rab added, “I don’t have children, but I do have an aging and disabled mother, and it is very challenging.”

Law firms should have an interest in changing their cultures to attract and retain the best talent, she said. “There are benefits for everybody. It makes no sense for organizations to lose 50% of their workforce because we can’t structure our environments around these issues.”

She added, “There are no easy answers, but we can begin by challenging behaviors and facilitating dialogue by talking openly about the situation.”

One thing King & Spalding is doing is trying to create an environment that promotes flexible working patterns. Rab explained how this, in turn, develops and advances women, but it is by no means just a women’s issue. “For example, flexible working is not marketed toward women, but everyone.”

She continued, “I believe part time workers can contribute meaningfully to the organization as well. Child care responsibilities should not be seen as an impediment, so long as everyone is honest and realistic about the commitments on both sides. Associates can remain on track while working a part time schedule. At the same time, we have to strike a balance between accepting those programs and the nature and pace of career development. But we should not close our minds to the possibilities.”

She added, “I’m also one of the affinity partners for the London office where we are focused around diversity. That I happen to be female and the other affinity partner is male is not the result of deliberate selection – it is just that we are both motivated by the issue.”

Advice for Female Lawyers

Age or a perception of youth can be a difficulty for young lawyers, Rab said. “People can underestimate you when you look young. But I find that sometimes underpromising and overdelivering relative to those expectations can be powerful. Try to turn it to your advantage.”

She also suggests young lawyers should build wider professional relationships early on in their careers. “Start building your professional network as soon as you can – I can’t emphasize enough the importance of surrounding yourself with trusted internal and external contacts who you can go to for support.”

“It’s important to reciprocate that relationship when you can be a source of counsel to others. People have done this for me in the past and I’ve learned from the process. The business cycle is measured in months and years – not weeks and days. It’s not too early to start building these relationships, even as a junior associate,” she continued.

Rab encourages senior women to look back on their own early career, be honest about their strengths and weaknesses, and try to be the best they can be. “I am a proponent of the elephant philosophy. Don’t forget what it was like for you when you were entering an organization: the good – and not so good – experiences. And then try to translate them into your behaviors.” She summarized that this is not about trying to be someone else but being authentic.  “I’m a great believer in the insights of two business gurus from the London Business School – Goffee and Jones. From their research they found that all great leaders – regardless of their gender – display very distinctive characteristics. I can think of no better advice to women who aspire to be leaders in this profession: ‘be-yourself-more-with-skill!’”

In Her Personal Time

“I’m passionate about musical theatre,” Rab said. “As a performer, director, and spectator. It’s in my DNA.”

Having held leading roles in Les Misérables and The Sound of Music, she continued, “Because of the lifestyle I lead now, I can’t commit to a big show and rehearsal schedule, but there are recitals and I love visiting Broadway and London’s West End.”

“The practice of law does not easily lend itself to creative expression, but for me, building relationships and growing business is like the thrill of being on stage. It involves patience, commitment and hard work – and it can give you a real adrenaline rush when it all comes to fruition.”

Rab also enjoys outdoor activities, including abseiling, which she does to raise funds for charities. “I was initially skeptical about walking backwards off a rock-face hanging on to a rope but after my first abseil I wanted to do more. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it, and felt a great sense of achievement – not just the physical side of it but having the mental resolve to overcome a fear of heights.”

She also gets involved in overseas relief work, ranging from building houses for tsunami victims in Sri Lanka to working in an orphanage in Romania.

*Indian competition law: an international perspective, published by Wolters Kluwer, will be published in Q2 2012.