Voice of Experience: Eliza McDougall, Partner, Bank Finance ...

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Originally from Toronto, Eliza McDougall attended McGill University and then spent a year working in venture capital marketing. ?I decided I needed to get further education and applied to both business and law school.? She enrolled in a joint JD/MBA program at the University of Toronto and, following a summer internship at Milbank,Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, she decided to go into law. McDougall spent the next five years working in their global project finance group. Subsequently, she moved into the leveraged finance group when the firm established it as a separate practice area and then moved to White & Case as counsel in 2010.

She became a partner in White & Case?s Bank Finance Practice on January 1st of this year.

Being a Role Model

McDougall takes the responsibility of being one of her practice group?s only female partners very seriously. ?I?m excited about the opportunity to be an example for and to help advance the other women in the group.?

?I think one of the biggest issues for all lawyers in our industry is the difficulty of establishing a work-life balance,? McDougall said. ?It?s incredibly difficult, given the need to be available at all times for our clients and the tight timelines, to have a life.?

She continued, ?This is especially the case for women who traditionally are the primary caregivers in a relationship and there still are not enough female role models in the banking industry showing us how to have a successful career and a family.?

But that?s not a reason to give up, she emphasized. ?I?m married with a young child and I believe that it is completely do-able if you keep your priorities straight, if you are organized and work efficiently and, above all, if you don?t put undue pressure on yourself.?

Advice for Women Lawyers

?Hindsight is 20/20,? McDougall said. She said that while she is happy with where her career trajectory has led her, she encourages young professionals to actively plan their career path.

?We need to be in control of our careers. In an hierarchical organization like a law firm, there?s the tendency to think that career development and progression happens automatically. However, that is not necessarily the case and even as a junior associate, you have to take responsibility for your own career, rather than just letting it happen.?

She also suggested that junior women pay attention early on to managing work/life balance issues. ?Be realistic about what non-work related activities you can commit to and when. That way you will minimize the stress and disappointment of not being able to live up to those commitments and the strain on personal relationships if you have to cancel plans.?

?My advice is to surround yourself with people who understand your schedule and work obligations and who are completely supportive. Otherwise, you will constantly be fighting against the demands of the job,? she explained.

McDougall is also a staunch supporter of mentoring. ?Unfortunately, I think that sometimes women have a tendency to be harder on other women than they are on men, but I think we should be more supportive of other women. It will help us all in the long run.?

In Her Personal Time

?If I am not working, I spend every spare moment I can with my family,? McDougall said. ?Between work and family, I don?t have a lot of time for much else!?

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