Reading time: 3 minsPlease introduce yourself and your journey into your role at Bristows
I am a Partner in the regulatory life sciences team at Bristows, which means I advise clients on bringing medicines and medical devices to the market. My journey to becoming a Partner has not been a conventional one.
I qualified as a lawyer in Spain and practiced at a law firm there for almost 10 years. I then joined the pharmaceutical company Pfizer as an in-house lawyer, which meant moving to the UK. I loved my experience as an in-house lawyer, but the opportunity to join Bristows came up for a role I knew had significant scope for growth. I joined the firm as Of Counsel in 2018 and became a Partner in 2022.
Why did you want to join Bristows over other firms?
After working at a Magic Circle firm for many years, I wanted to join a smaller law firm that focused on life sciences. I joined Bristows because of its reputation as one of the leading firms advising life sciences companies.
Please could you give us a general insight into what diversity, and inclusion looks like at Bristows?
We are committed to diversity, equality & inclusion (DE&I). This means that we take proactive steps to generate an environment where everyone, regardless of their personal characteristics, can thrive. We are proud to have created a workplace where no employee or Partner is treated less favourably because of their personal characteristics. We firmly believe that this commitment enriches both our work and our working lives.
We recognise that there is still a lot of work to do to make the legal profession diverse and inclusive, but we at Bristows are taking positive steps to make advances on DE&I. For example, Bristows works closely with Aspiring Solicitors, an organisation dedicated to assisting people from underrepresented groups in the legal profession. We are also signatories to the PRIME initiative and work with various further education careers services to support and encourage STEM students.
One of our latest initiatives is the launch of our Disability & Neurodivergence Network in May 2025. This network is dedicated to supporting and empowering neurodivergent employees and those with disabilities. Rooted in the firm’s values of being ambitious, friendly, brave, and curious, the network tries to ensure everyone can be themselves in an inclusive environment.
The Women’s Network, established in 2020, focuses on addressing women’s DE&I issues within the firm. We have a fantastic group of employees forming part of the network’s committee, supported by three Partner sponsors. The network is active internally by raising challenges that affect women working at Bristows with the firm’s management, providing opportunities for women at the firm to network and ensuring that the firm’s DE&I strategy fully supports gender equality.
How does this network support employees at Bristows?
The Women’s Network disseminates knowledge and information to the wider firm and suggests ways in which Bristows can demonstrate its commitment to gender DE&I to people outside the firm (such as clients, potential recruits, and the media) through hosting networking events and establishing links with other groups both internally and outside the firm. It also helps the firm identify training needs, and supports the development, implementation and review of relevant firmwide policies, procedures and action plans, as well as initiatives to raise awareness of women’s DE&I issues within the firm.