Obelisk Legal Support Solutions

Obelisk Support (Obelisk Legal Support Solutions) is an alternative legal service provider of more than 850[1] lawyers in London. [2][3][4]

Obelisk Support uses a flexible 'outsourcing' working model where lawyers work remotely for the client, either on stand-by or as supporting legal advisers.[5] Lawyers are placed with City law firms or in-house on an interim basis, and work as an extension within a business. Obelisk uses former city solicitors, many of them women who may enjoy a more flexible schedule.(e.g. to raise a family)[6] Obelisk further provides a language facility which uniquely uses qualified lawyers to translate legal documents into 27 world languages.[7]

Development

Obelisk Support was founded by Dana Denis-Smith in 2010[8] to aid both women and men, who take time out of law to have a family.[9] The company was founded on the idea of flexible work in law. [10] In 2014, Obelisk recorded revenue growth of 400%.[11]

The business has worked with clients such as Royal Bank of Scotland, Goldman Sachs, Vodafone, BT, Thomson Reuters and ING.[12][13]

Awards

In 2015, Obelisk was chosen by The Times' as one of the top 50 employers for women.[14][15]

In 2014, Obelisk Support won the Best Strategic Leadership Award at the MPF Awards 2014.[16] It was also a finalist for the second year for Best Emerging Firm.[17]

In 2014, the firm was named runner up to Unilever for "Most Agile Organisation" at the Opportunity Now Awards.[18]

Obelisk Support was one of three firms to be rated as a stand out in the Legal Pioneers category at the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards 2013.[19]

In 2012, Obelisk’s founder Dana Denis-Smith was a finalist for "Legal Innovator of the Year" in the FT Innovative Lawyers Awards.[8] Denis-Smith was named as one of UK Management Today’s 35 inspirational Women in Business under age 35 in 2010.[20]

Recognition

Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, president of the UK Law Society, noted the exodus of women solicitors leaving the profession to have children and argued that the situation will only change if the legal sector invests in targeted career development support for women.[21]

Paul Owers, a partner at private-equity firm Actis and an Obelisk client, documents Obelisk Support’s ethical mission of providing flexible working solutions to professional women and men who take time off work for personal and family reasons. He notes, however, that there is a challenge in promoting the model from a business perspective, given the legal sector’s traditionally conservative approach to innovation in the market.[22]

First 100 Years Project

The First 100 Years project was an initiative launched in 2014 by Obelisk Support in partnership with The Law Society and the Bar Council to capture and celebrate the journey of women in the legal profession over the past 100 years. The project runs for five years and culminates in 2019 to mark the 100th anniversary since the introduction of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919.

In the year 2015, the project was launched at the House of Lords.[23][24]

References

  1. ↑ "An Interview with Dana Denis-Smith". 23 June 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  2. ↑ MacErlean, Neasa (28 May 2013). "Not all about the 9 to 5". Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Denis-Smith, Dana (26 May 2015). "Smarter Working 2014: Obelisk Support". Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  4. ↑ Bindman, Dan. "Ex-City lawyer outsourcers grow 400% and plot to double again in size". Legal Futures. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  5. ↑ Rodway, Clare (28 May 2013). "Dana Denis-Smith". Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "A fresh challenge for talent management: outsource working". Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  7. ↑ Chipman, Andrea (17 September 2013). "For Women, Returning to the Workplace is a Challenge". Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  8. 1 2 "FT.com/Special Reports/Innovative Lawyers". Rankings.ft.com. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Flexible hours Stem the Drain in Talent". thetimes.co.uk. 25 June 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  10. ↑ "A Law unto Themselves". timewise.co.uk. 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  11. ↑ "opportunitynow.bitc.org.uk/case study/Obelisk". Opportunity Now. March 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  12. ↑ "obelisksupport.com/clients". Obelisk Support. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  13. ↑ "G.C Power list 2015". Legal Business. 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Several law firms among The Times' top 50 employers for women 2015". Law Careers. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  15. ↑ "Law scores well in employer-for-women table". Law Gazette. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  16. ↑ "Best Strategic Leadership". Managing Partners’ Forum. 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  17. ↑ "Best Emerging Firm". Managing Partners’ Forum. 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  18. ↑ "Agile Organisation Award". Opportunity Now. 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  19. ↑ "FT.com/Special Reports/Innovative Lawyers". Rankings.ft.com. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  20. ↑ "35 Women Under 35". Management Today. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  21. ↑ Davies, Catriona (27 November 2012). "Your top-flight lawyer – she's a stay at home mom". Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  22. ↑ Chipman, Andrea (17 September 2013). "For Women, Returning to the Workplace Is a Challenge". Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  23. ↑ Dawe, Tony (22 April 2015). "A Needle-Sharp Eye for Business". Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  24. ↑ Denis-Smith, Dana (31 March 2015). "The First 100 Years: the journey of women in the legal profession". Retrieved 9 June 2015.

External links

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