International Women’s Day 2026 at Ellis Jones

What is International Women’s Day?

International Women’s Day (IWD) is an annual event, celebrated globally on 8th March, with the aim to encourage celebration of social, cultural, economic, and political achievements of women. The first IWD occurred in 1911, when more than one million people attended rallies campaigning for women’s rights to vote, work, hold public office and end gender discrimination.

The campaign this year has the theme of ‘Give to Gain’ which emphasises the importance of the power of giving and aims to make International Women’s Day one of the most giving days of the year. Giving to gain in order to forge gender equality is the message being championed this year.

How we support women at Ellis Jones

• 74% of people at Ellis Jones are women and we have 9 partners who are women at the firm which is a higher number than other firms.
• We have had 17 trainee solicitors who are women qualify as solicitors at the firm.
• Ellis Jones has an enhanced maternity policy with entitlement to 52 weeks’ maternity leave, compromising of 26 weeks’ ordinary maternity leave plus 26 weeks’ additional maternity leave. Enhanced maternity pay is paid at the full rate of your normal salary for the first 12 weeks and then at half normal salary for the next 12 weeks or months and includes statutory maternity pay that may be due for that period.
• We sponsor the STEAM Challenge Event at Bournemouth University which supports girls in education, organised by Soroptimist International Bournemouth, to transform the lives and status of women and girls through education, empowerment and enabling opportunities. Nicola Hall, Lauren Holloway, Asya Panchalieva and Evie Allum are attending this year’s event on 12th March.
• We are sponsoring Poole Netball Club, one of the South West’s leading performance netball clubs for girls aged 6 and above, helping to support women in sport within the Poole community.

Empowering career journeys at Ellis Jones

At Ellis Jones we put people first, so for International Women’s Day we would like to highlight some of the career journeys of women at our firm.

Henrietta Frew – Partner & Solicitor

“I joined Ellis Jones’ Banking & Finance Litigation Team in 2018, almost a year after qualifying as a Solicitor in a regional firm, where had I done most of my training in commercial dispute resolution. I liked the idea of specialising in a niche area, particularly one that focused on helping individuals and SME’s against larger corporations, and it has definitely been a rewarding career. I was promoted to Associate in 2019 and again to Senior Associate in 2021.

The entrepreneurial spirit and freedom at Ellis Jones has enabled me to carve out my own path, explore niche areas and has opened up several unique opportunities, such as featuring on radio, television and in the national press. I have had many successful outcomes in both banking and commercial work, but have also been supported to build our offering in healthcare, as another niche area of law.

Case work aside, the Firms’ supportive culture has enabled me to take on the role of mentor to numerous junior colleagues and play a central part in managing members of the Banking & Finance Litigation Team. I have very much enjoyed supporting others, encouraging growth and seeing juniors find their feet in their own legal careers. I like having a multi-faceted role, it keeps me learning and growing – long may it continue!”

Find out more on Henrietta’s staff profile.

George Wright – Marketing Manager

“After graduating University with a First Class BA (Hons) in Media Production, I began my marketing career as a videographer onboard Caribbean cruise ships, before moving into marketing agency work and then a fast paced role within a large events venue.

I joined the firm in 2017 as a Marketing Executive, keen to develop my career within an in house team. Coming from a creative background, the transition into a more corporate legal environment felt daunting at first, but the supportive and friendly culture at the firm quickly put me at ease. I found Ellis Jones to be a forward thinking firm that values independence, creativity, and fresh ideas, and has adapted impressively to the evolving digital landscape.

In 2019 I was promoted to Marketing Manager, and since then I’ve helped build and lead the marketing team alongside the Marketing Partner. I oversee the delivery of strategic marketing activity across all departments of our full service law firm. After nine years at Ellis Jones, I’ve built strong friendships and seen first-hand how central our people and culture are to the business. I feel proud to work for a company that live by the ethos: professional with personality.”

Find out more on George’s staff profile.

Georgina Emerson – Senior Associate Solicitor

“In September 2019, I started my training contract at Ellis Jones. I spent the first 6 months working under William Fox-Bregman in Banking & Finances, before transitioning to a seat in the Family department, being led and supervised by Deborah Leask and Katie Taft. I spent the next 9 months in the Family Department which cemented my interest and passion for family law. During the last 3 months of my training contract, I gained experienced in Ellis Jones’ Employment department under Kate Brooks. Due to practicing as a paralegal for 2 years, Ellis Jones kindly supported my application for ‘time to count’ and I qualified into the Family Department 6 months early, on 3 March 2021.

I have been provided with invaluable training and opportunities throughout my time at Ellis Jones which has enabled me to now practice all areas of family law (private children, matrimonial finance, cohabitation disputes, domestic abuse injunctions etc) and I have built a reputation and specialism for dealing with international children cases, to include child abduction and international relocation. Due to the Firm having a London presence, I have been able to expand my practice in London and in 2023, I was appointment an officer of the Child Abduction Lawyers Association Committee.

I was promoted to Associate solicitor in January 2023, at less than 2 years PQE and Senior Associate in July 2024. Ellis Jones has supported my career aspirations and allowed me to thrive and pursue my goals. After 8 years of working at the Firm, I remain proud to be part of the Ellis Jones family.”

Find out more on Georgina’s staff profile.

Improving gender equality in the sector

It is wonderful to have so many successful female career stories from various departments across Ellis Jones. As a firm we promote gender equality as part of our culture and values, and we continue to make progress to level the playing field within the legal sector.