Farmida Bi

Farmida Bi CBE is a British corporate solicitor, former politician and the current Chair of Europe, Middle East and Asia at Norton Rose Fulbright.[1][2] She is the United Kingdom's first female chair of a major law firm, and has been named one of Britain's top five most powerful Muslim women.[3][4] She stood as a Labour Party candidate in two elections, and founded Progressive British Muslims three days after the 7/7 London bombings.[5] She was awarded a CBE in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to Law and charity.[2]

Farmida Bi

CBE
Born (1967-09-02) September 2, 1967
Pakistan
EducationDowning College, Cambridge (LLM) (1989)
Political partyLabour
HonoursCBE

Early life and education

Bi was born in Pakistan, and moved to the United Kingdom at the age of six.[6] She came from a traditional, working-class, British Muslim background, where her mother expected her to marry a first cousin and devote the rest of her life to her husband and family. At the age of 14, this inspired her interest in rights and fairness, and a desire to become a lawyer.[1] She left home to read law at the University of Cambridge, causing a rift between her and her mother and aunt that never fully healed.[7] Although her mother had difficulty understanding Bi's life, she eventually came to terms with it.[1] At Cambridge, she studied at Downing College, graduating in 1989 with a Master of Laws.

Career

Bi trained as a solicitor at Clifford Chance, qualifying in 1992, before working as an associate at JPMorgan and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. She qualified as a New York attorney in 1999, and was partner at Denton Wilde Sapte from 2002 to 2008, following which she joined Norton Rose Fulbright.[2][8][5]

In the 2005 United Kingdom general election, she stood as a Labour Party candidate in Mole Valley, Surrey, winning 10.7% of the vote.[8][9][10] Bi also ran as the Labour candidate for the Hillside ward in the 2006 Merton London Borough Council election, winning 13.2% of the vote.[11]

She was appointed Chair of EMEA at Norton Rose Fulbright in 2018, making her the first female chair of a major law firm in the United Kingdom.[3]

Awards and honours

In 2009, Bi was named one of the United Kingdom's five most powerful Muslim women.[4] She was a nominated for the British Muslim Awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015 for services to finance and accounts, and services to law.[12][13] In 2018, she was named one of the Financial Times' Top 10 most innovative lawyers[14] and listed in Cranfield University's 2019 Women to Watch supplement.[15] She was included in the Women Role Model list in 2019.[16] She was awarded a CBE in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to Law and charity.[2] Bi has been recognised for her commitment to action towards diversity and inclusion in the workplace.[1][8] She is Chair of the Patchwork Foundation and has been trustee of the Muslim Youth Helpline.[17][18]

References
  1. "How this role model lawyer is blazing a trail for women in the legal industry". uk.finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  2. "Farmida Bi, CBE | Chair, Europe, Middle East and Asia | Global law firm | Norton Rose Fulbright". Norton Rose Fulbright. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  3. "Honour's list: 100-year-old Ramadan fundraiser and 'Skipping Sikh' among those recognised". Asian Image. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  4. "Tory peer named most powerful Muslim women". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  5. "IBA - Farmida Bi: IBA profile". International Bar Association. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  6. "Welcome diversity in birthday honours list - EasternEye". Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  7. "IBA - Interview with Farmida Bi". International Bar Association. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  8. Sim, Bérengère. "An Audience With Farmida Bi: 'Racial abuse was just a part of growing up'". www.fnlondon.com. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  9. "Multiculturalism, citizenship and national identity". openDemocracy. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  10. "BBC NEWS | Election 2005 | Results | Mole Valley". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  11. "London Borough Council Elections" (PDF). London Datastore. 4 May 2006. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  12. "Winners announced at the Inaugural British Muslim Awards | Asian Sunday & Asian Standard Newspaper". Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  13. "British Muslim Awards 2014 winners". Asian Image. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  14. Boulton, Leyla (4 October 2018). "Top 10 innovative lawyers: the legal profession embraces the future". www.ft.com. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  15. "Women to Watch 2019: spotlight on BAME talent | The Voice Online". archive.voice-online.co.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  16. "Farmida Bi included in Women Role Model List 2019 | Global law firm | Norton Rose Fulbright". Norton Rose Fulbright. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  17. "The 100 Most Influential Women in European Finance 2019". www.fnlondon.com. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  18. Darbyshire, Madison; Thompson, Barney (15 April 2019). "Can you be a mother and a senior law firm partner?". Financial Times. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
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