Spotlighting Sonal Thakrar

In honour of International Women's Day, Oak Group has invited women from its network to share their inspiring stories throughout the month of March.

We are thrilled to share Sonal Thakrar 's story below.

Can you tell us about yourself and your career journey so far?

At the tender age of 9, I was watching an episode of LA Law and remember screaming to my parents, 'look this is what I want to do!'

That was it.

I then started to obsess. Nothing was going to change my mind. All my school subject decisions were very much leaning towards achieving a career in law. I was very determined and tunnel visioned into breaking through the obstacles that would present themselves on my path so that I could achieve my chosen career. Clearly at age 9, I had already mapped my life out!

I followed the traditional route of reading Law over 3 years at Brunel University of London , Uxbridge, then a full time LPC course at The College of Law, Guildford. After qualifying, I sent out almost 300 training contract applications, received 3 rejections and 297 no responses. This did not deter me; in fact it made me resilient and even more determined.

I became an outdoor clerk (i.e. a post girl) for Berger Oliver in 1998, paralegal for a couple of other law firms before I landed my training contract with Pearson Lowe, a small boutique 5 partner law firm in the West End. I was simply in the right place at the right time - delivering witness statements where I got chatting to one of the partners who asked me what I was doing career wise and then stayed in touch which then led to me being asked to come in for an interview about a year later. 18 months into PQE I was getting itchy feet and decided to join Charles Russell LLP (before they merged with Speechleys) in 2002 whereupon my career path took on a intense upward trajectory. I remember when I first joined, I felt like I needed a dictionary and thesaurus to even communicate with my peers and partners. I was a young, very green assistant solicitor who spoke East Midlands slang in what was then a very English, pin stripe suit, signet ring, white middle class firm. Despite those odds, I made it to Managing Associate at age 29 and an Equity Partner at the age of 32. I spent 8 years at Charles Russell LLP before I was head hunted for a lateral partner position at Mishcon de Reya LLP , which I joined in 2010 for 3 principal reasons (my three P's as I like to describe them): 'Professional, Personal and Package'. 14 years later I am still a Partner at Mishcon de Reya LLP and very much part of the cellular DNA of the firm.

What has been your proudest achievement so far since joining Mishcon?

I would say this was when I was 'wooed' into accepting a Head of Group role which I did for 3 years between 2016-2019. I was the natural successor when the former Partner and then Head of Group, Beverley Lewis retired, but it wasn’t what I thought I really wanted to do at the time. At this peak of my career, my spiritual journey was also gaining momentum as I had chosen to do an intense 8-month yoga teacher training course. I recognised during those initial years that I was so much more than just my career, so I kind of threw myself into leading a team as Head of Group and engaging in Firm Management and at the same time pursuing my passions outside of the workplace.

As a woman of colour, entering and succeeding in what was then a largely white, middle class and male patriarchal profession was no mean feat. To my peers, family and friends, it was an absolute no brainer, notwithstanding all the doubts fears and insecurities that I was feeling in being able to carry out and succeed in the role.

What is the greatest advice you have been given?

I would say the most memorable advice that still sits with me, even today is 'be yourself, do you, work hard, work cleverly, work efficiently. If you want something, it is absolutely there for the taking. It is available and you just got to want it hard enough truthfully and authentically with an open heart and open mind'.

'Inspire and be inspired'.

These resonated and I have tried my best to live up to them and pass on the wisdom.

Which women inspire you the most and why?

Without a doubt, Michelle Obama. She is a powerhouse and the first black woman to be the First Lady of the Unites States with an incredible successful career that she achieved herself. She was the heart and soul behind her husband's presidency and the absolute natural authentic truthful way in which she shows up for humanity and her family has been inspiring and relatable. She has articulated in her biography the struggles and challenges that she faced growing up and achieving the title of First Lady without sugar-coating diminishing or diluting the struggles that she has faced.

Equally, women in senior positions in business and women who own businesses, whether they are led by career or passion, are navigating the pressures of family life, with or without the support of their partners to achieve and succeed.

By 2025, 60% of wealth will be held by ultra high net worth women, which is a record-breaking statistic. Given the historic repression of women, how women have navigated the societal and patriarchal struggles and obstacles to become leaders in their field is so impressive.

What ways are you committed to inspire inclusion?

Being both a woman and a person of colour, this is very close to my heart.

It is essential I stand up tall, with my head held high, comfortable in my brown skin so that I can role model to the generations that come after me. How I show up for myself, the values that I have for myself and the way I carry myself will dictate how I show up for others, how I support others and how I am able to navigate patriarchy, cultural tensions, and education in the work place. The actual beauty is the uniqueness of every person who can bring something very individual to the table. Creativity and business go hand in hand, they are not mutually exclusive.

Do you have any advice you would give to other women starting out in the industry?

Work hard but do not also forget to play hard. The early years will be about building confidence, knowledge and wisdom to step into the trajectory of career progression. Be ambitious and then own it without arrogance. Don’t push others down to rise but instead lift up the others around you as that will lift you at the same time. Be authentic in who you are, what you do, what you say, how you carry yourself. Be integral, accountable, take responsibility and support each other with friendship.

Stand out from the crowd. Vulnerability and strength go hand in hand, let them become your superpower. Choose to stay away from the politics but get involved where necessary. Set goals and then make a choice of how and when you would like to achieve those goals but take accountability. How much you put in is largely going to dictate how much you get back.

Read more about Oak's campaign here.