Canadian Lawyer

50 www.canadianlawyermag.com PEOPLE FIRM INSIGHT The power of saying no WHILE MUCH HAS been written about the biases, assumptions and stigmas that lie as obstacles on a woman's path up the career ladder, Bereskin and Parr's Micheline Gravelle — who recently stepped down from her role as managing partner — says there are also gendered expectations and draw- backs in saying "no" to being boss. "It was really hard as a woman, I think, to say 'no' and decide not to continue," she says. "Breaking through the glass ceiling is possible, but even more empowering was my decision to step down after being acclaimed for a third term. Being able to say 'no' and to do what is best for you is often hard as a woman. "It was empowering for me to say no to something as I've never done that," she says. The firm announced Gravelle's move in early Januay, adding that she will continue to lead the firm's life sciences group. Mis- sissauga, Ont. trademark and patent agent Stephen Beney has taken her place as man- aging partner. There is evidence behind Gravelle's sense of a unique hesitation among women to re- spond in the negative. A widely publicized study by Baylor School of Medicine's Kath- arine O'Brien and Eden King of George Mason University showed that women find it harder than men to decline assignments that are outside the scope of their jobs. And the women who did say "no" faced conse- quences in performance reviews and were less likely to be promoted. Micheline Gravelle overcame gendered expectations when she stepped down as managing partner at Bereskin and Parr While Gravelle considered her options, she drew up two lists: reasons to stay and reasons to go. Her entire "why to stay" list consisted of what was best for the firm, while her "why to go" list was what was best for her. "With females, especially in leadership roles, we just feel we have to do everything and please everybody," she says. "It could be biological. We feel the need to nurture and care about others, not put our oxygen mask on first." She added that, as there are few female managing partners, she was weighed also with a feeling she was letting women down. "As a human being, that's not a reason to continue, just to be an important stat," she says. "You have to do what's best for you. I always say you have to leave something in a better place as when you found it, and I felt I accomplished that." During Gravelle's time at the head of the firm, the priorities she pushed included team- work, wellness, diversity and inclusion. She wanted to avoid people working in silos, wor- rying about their own billings and neglecting training and mentoring, so she changed the compensation system to reward teamwork by reviewing event attendance, work delegation and mentoring. The firm now polls associ- ates, who review the partners, while remain- ing anonymous. "That's information that we take serious- ly. If an associate says someone's difficult to work with, it doesn't matter how high your billings are… And that's had a remarkable effect," she says. Gravelle adds that the data shows happy people are more productive. The firm holds "Mindful Monday" meditation sessions and has brought in cognitive behaviour specialists for presentations. She instituted a policy that staff members do not work on their birthday and changed the dress code so wearing a suit is no longer required. "Which is really important, especially for new recruits. The last thing you want to do was go out and spend a fortune on a ward- robe," she says. GENERATIONAL SHIFT When Gravelle had her son 20 years ago, she took only two weeks of maternity leave, later taking just six weeks when her daughter was born. At the time she became a mother, she was also nurturing the firm's budding life sciences group, which was growing, gaining clients and which Gravelle did not want to put on pause. "If you [speak] to some younger associates, they are getting a bit better at doing what's best for them," she says. "Now we're seeing female associates go off for a full year and a half or at least a year."

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