Woman & Legal Innovation. A new series by Fatima Hussain and Anne Graue
Fatima Hussain and Anne Graue talk to inspiring women in their series "Women; Legal Innovation - Global Edition". The goal is to encourage young female lawyers to develop their voice and become actively involved by showing them different stories; potential role models. The series started for the German market in May 2021, where Fatima Hussain and Anne Graue published 15 inspiring women interviews in the online "lawyers magazine.” This new series aims to take an international view on the topic and share experiences and personal stories of women from different countries and their take on innovation in the legal industry.
Let's root for each other; help each
other grow.
Legal innovation is an important part of our working lives as lawyers. For us, legal innovation means a fully comprehensive approach to become more efficient and client-centric. Legal operations, legal design, and legal tech are all part of legal innovation, whereas diversity and inclusion are also key factors for innovative developments in the legal sector.We have noticed that there is still an underrepresentation of women in the field of legal innovation in Europe. Moreover, there is a strong imbalance in the representation of woman speakers or in woman in panels (examples: 8:1, 16:4 or 11:2). But why are there so few women represented? Theoretically, there are three possible explanations:There are no women in the legal innovation field.There are women in the legal innovation field. However, they do not want to be visible.There are women in the legal innovation field.They want to be visible - but are not yet heard.The first option is not a suitable explanation, as even brief research shows that there are indeed many inspiring women working on innovative topics.
We need trailblazers in the innovation field.
Rather, it has always been evident that women avoid visibility partly out of concern. They worry about criticism, adverse reactions from colleagues, or being called an imposter (so-called Imposter Syndrome). However, these worries are dispelled when there is a representation of women in the field of legal innovation.In this series, we want to create empowerment and represent more women through different stories, careers, experiences and visions.
Grow through what you go through.
Many of us have already had negative experiences with our visibility. Be it comments on social media or statements from colleagues. However, visibility brings immense positive effects: expanding your horizons and network, opening up new and exciting opportunities, and realizing that you can count on the support of many people around you. And negative experiences are also important experiences: We learn and grow through them.
Innovation happens if we speak up.
Innovation can only happen if we actively speak up about our ideas. However, developing a voice and actively speaking up is a difficult step for many young women. Many have had this experience, and we want to encourage women to have an active part: Your voice is important - your vision is interesting!
Innovation needs strong women - strong women are those who empower others.
We know how important it is to support each other. We motivate each other to try new things and move outside the comfort zone. We listen and offer advice to each other and to other women who need support and a strong network. Some women need the support of theirsupervisor to be innovative and active, and women for whom it is even more important than their direct colleagues and friends support them. We are not all the same, and that is good: there is no blueprint for empowerment. In a metaphor, some plants need watering from above, and some need only their root watered - some need more water, others less. Whether you are leading a team or at the beginning of your career, empowerment is important at every level.
About the Authors
Anne Graueis an attorney-at-law and Legal Innovation Advisor. She works as Legal Counsel in the automotive industry in Germany. Previously, she was Associate General Counsel at TIER Mobility SE - a hyper-growth start-up in e-mobility, where she drove the digitalization; development of the legal department. Prior to this role, she worked as Legal Counsel at AUDI AG, where she was responsible for litigation in APAC; Europe and advised on e-mobility related product safety issues. Other prior experience includes working as a criminal judge and associate at Clifford Chance. Fatima Hussainis an attorney-at-law and Legal Innovation Advisor. She is a Senior Legal Counsel at Trade Republic Bank GmbH, a FinTech in Berlin. Previously, she worked as in-house counsel at Tesla Manufacturing Brandenburg SE and AUDI AG.During her time at AUDI AG, her responsibilities included providing legal advice on product liability and safety issues in Germany and international markets, for example, the U.S. and South America, and conducting national and international litigation. Prior to joining AUDI AG, she worked as a legal assistant in the Dispute Resolution team at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and in the Banking; Capital Markets team at Clifford Chance LLP in Frankfurt am Main.
About the authors:
Fatima Hussain (left), Anne Graue (right)
Anne Graue
Anne Graue is an attorney-at-law and Legal Innovation Advisor. She works as a Legal Counsel in the automotive industry in Germany. Previously, she was Associate General Counsel at TIER Mobility SE - a hyper-growth start-up in the field of e-mobility, where she drove the digitalization; development of the legal department.Prior to this role, she worked as Legal Counsel at AUDI AG, where she was responsible for litigation in APAC; Europe and advised on e-mobility-related product safety issues. Further prior experience includes working as a criminal judge and associate at Clifford Chance.
Fatima Hussain, LL.M.
Fatima Hussain is an attorney-at-law and Legal Innovation Advisor. She is a Senior Legal Counsel at Trade Republic Bank GmbH, a FinTech in Berlin. Previously, she worked as in-house counsel at Tesla Manufacturing Brandenburg SE and AUDI AG.During her time at AUDI AG, her responsibilities included providing legal advice on product liability and safety issues in Germany and international markets, for example, the U.S. and South America, and conducting national and international litigation. Prior to joining AUDI AG, she worked as a legal assistant in the Dispute Resolution team at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and in the Banking; Capital Markets team at Clifford Chance LLP in Frankfurt am Main.
Fatima Hussain and Anne Graue talk to inspiring women in their series "Women; Legal Innovation - Global Edition". The goal is to encourage young female lawyers to develop their voice and become actively involved by showing them different stories; potential role models. The series started for the German market in May 2021, where Fatima Hussain and Anne Graue published 15 inspiring women interviews in the online "lawyers magazine.” This new series aims to take an international view on the topic and share experiences and personal stories of women from different countries and their take on innovation in the legal industry.
Let's root for each other; help each
other grow.
Legal innovation is an important part of our working lives as lawyers. For us, legal innovation means a fully comprehensive approach to become more efficient and client-centric. Legal operations, legal design, and legal tech are all part of legal innovation, whereas diversity and inclusion are also key factors for innovative developments in the legal sector.We have noticed that there is still an underrepresentation of women in the field of legal innovation in Europe. Moreover, there is a strong imbalance in the representation of woman speakers or in woman in panels (examples: 8:1, 16:4 or 11:2). But why are there so few women represented? Theoretically, there are three possible explanations:There are no women in the legal innovation field.There are women in the legal innovation field. However, they do not want to be visible.There are women in the legal innovation field.They want to be visible - but are not yet heard.The first option is not a suitable explanation, as even brief research shows that there are indeed many inspiring women working on innovative topics.
We need trailblazers in the innovation field.
Rather, it has always been evident that women avoid visibility partly out of concern. They worry about criticism, adverse reactions from colleagues, or being called an imposter (so-called Imposter Syndrome). However, these worries are dispelled when there is a representation of women in the field of legal innovation.In this series, we want to create empowerment and represent more women through different stories, careers, experiences and visions.
Grow through what you go through.
Many of us have already had negative experiences with our visibility. Be it comments on social media or statements from colleagues. However, visibility brings immense positive effects: expanding your horizons and network, opening up new and exciting opportunities, and realizing that you can count on the support of many people around you. And negative experiences are also important experiences: We learn and grow through them.
Innovation happens if we speak up.
Innovation can only happen if we actively speak up about our ideas. However, developing a voice and actively speaking up is a difficult step for many young women. Many have had this experience, and we want to encourage women to have an active part: Your voice is important - your vision is interesting!
Innovation needs strong women - strong women are those who empower others.
We know how important it is to support each other. We motivate each other to try new things and move outside the comfort zone. We listen and offer advice to each other and to other women who need support and a strong network. Some women need the support of theirsupervisor to be innovative and active, and women for whom it is even more important than their direct colleagues and friends support them. We are not all the same, and that is good: there is no blueprint for empowerment. In a metaphor, some plants need watering from above, and some need only their root watered - some need more water, others less. Whether you are leading a team or at the beginning of your career, empowerment is important at every level.
About the Authors
Anne Graueis an attorney-at-law and Legal Innovation Advisor. She works as Legal Counsel in the automotive industry in Germany. Previously, she was Associate General Counsel at TIER Mobility SE - a hyper-growth start-up in e-mobility, where she drove the digitalization; development of the legal department. Prior to this role, she worked as Legal Counsel at AUDI AG, where she was responsible for litigation in APAC; Europe and advised on e-mobility related product safety issues. Other prior experience includes working as a criminal judge and associate at Clifford Chance. Fatima Hussainis an attorney-at-law and Legal Innovation Advisor. She is a Senior Legal Counsel at Trade Republic Bank GmbH, a FinTech in Berlin. Previously, she worked as in-house counsel at Tesla Manufacturing Brandenburg SE and AUDI AG.During her time at AUDI AG, her responsibilities included providing legal advice on product liability and safety issues in Germany and international markets, for example, the U.S. and South America, and conducting national and international litigation. Prior to joining AUDI AG, she worked as a legal assistant in the Dispute Resolution team at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and in the Banking; Capital Markets team at Clifford Chance LLP in Frankfurt am Main.
About the authors:
Fatima Hussain (left), Anne Graue (right)
Anne Graue
Anne Graue is an attorney-at-law and Legal Innovation Advisor. She works as a Legal Counsel in the automotive industry in Germany. Previously, she was Associate General Counsel at TIER Mobility SE - a hyper-growth start-up in the field of e-mobility, where she drove the digitalization; development of the legal department.Prior to this role, she worked as Legal Counsel at AUDI AG, where she was responsible for litigation in APAC; Europe and advised on e-mobility-related product safety issues. Further prior experience includes working as a criminal judge and associate at Clifford Chance.
Fatima Hussain, LL.M.
Fatima Hussain is an attorney-at-law and Legal Innovation Advisor. She is a Senior Legal Counsel at Trade Republic Bank GmbH, a FinTech in Berlin. Previously, she worked as in-house counsel at Tesla Manufacturing Brandenburg SE and AUDI AG.During her time at AUDI AG, her responsibilities included providing legal advice on product liability and safety issues in Germany and international markets, for example, the U.S. and South America, and conducting national and international litigation. Prior to joining AUDI AG, she worked as a legal assistant in the Dispute Resolution team at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and in the Banking; Capital Markets team at Clifford Chance LLP in Frankfurt am Main.
