In conversation with Paul Barker: Gowling's OpenHouse network, encouraging allyship and changes within the profession

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This article has been produced in collaboration with Gowling WLG (UK) LLP.

We speak to Paul Barker, a property litigator specialising in commercial property dispute resolution for over two decades, as well as a proud mentor to the co-chairs of Gowling WLG (UK) LLP’s OpenHouse network. Find out about Paul’s journey into law, including his motivations, the changes within the profession over the years and the move to make it more inclusive.  

What attracted you to a career in law?

I should probably say something worthy like "to make a difference" or because I wanted to advocate for justice. However, the honest answer is that I rather fell into it. I completed some work experience at a small firm of solicitors in my home town in Lancashire when I was about 15 or 16 years old and the work they were doing (predominantly criminal and family law matters) seemed interesting and intellectually challenging. Plus, all the solicitors drove smart cars, so I thought that if I pursued a career in law then maybe one day I could too!

The other factor was that a teacher at secondary school, who I actually rather liked, tried to warn me off a career in the law because she said that it was so competitive and difficult to get into. She thought I might struggle and find myself disappointed. I saw that as something of a challenge to prove her wrong and made a point of writing to let her know when I’d secured a training contract at a national law firm…

What’s the biggest positive change you’ve seen since entering the profession?

I started my training contract in 2000 and qualified in 2002, so the profession has changed considerably over the past 22 years, not least in terms of the advances in IT and working practices. 

For me, personally, the biggest positive change is around the emphasis that both law firms and their clients now place on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives.  As a gay man entering the legal profession in my early 20s, I don’t recall there being any discussion at all around DE&I and there were certainly no openly gay partners in the firm I joined at that time. In fact, I wasn’t aware of anyone else at all in the firm who was gay, as it just wasn’t talked about. The lack of positive role models in senior positions (not just in the legal profession, but in society generally at that time) meant that although I was out in my personal life, I spent the early years of my career ‘in the closet’, which was a difficult and sometimes lonely place to be. 

Now people are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work, with DE&I actively encouraged and recognised as helping to attract and retain the best talent. People perform better when they can be themselves in the workplace, so it’s great that things have moved on from when I was a newly qualified lawyer.

What work is Gowling doing in this area?

One of Gowling WLG's global core values is “we all bring something different” and, as a firm, we’re committed to attracting and retaining talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds. 

We now have a number of DE&I networks at the firm, including:

• EmbRACE (for ethnicity);
• Enable (for disability, mental health and wellbeing);
• Evolve (for junior talent);
• OpenHouse (for LGBTQ+ people and straight allies);
• Family Matters (for working partners and carers); and
• Thrive (for gender equality).

The networks promote the importance of inclusivity and raise awareness among employees who share common interests, goals and objectives. All networks are open to everyone at the firm, and allies are welcomed and encouraged. Each of our networks has at least one sponsor who sits on the Gowling Board to ensure that the voice of the network is heard by the business.

I’m proud to be the partner mentor to the co-chairs of our OpenHouse network, which I was instrumental in setting up as a more junior lawyer and chaired for several years before becoming a partner. OpenHouse provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ employees to discuss any concerns, raises awareness of LGBTQ+ issues by holding events and webinars and engages with other external LGBTQ+ groups, including groups at our clients. We take part each year in the Birmingham Pride Parade – last year we had more than 40 employees from around the business walking in the parade, which was led by my 1977 VW Campervan!

The firm also has an Inclusion for All strategy, which is centred on what individual teams are doing around the firm to promote inclusivity. Each team has an annual Inclusion for All action plan that they’re responsible for devising. We run a survey each year to "take the pulse" in each team as to how they feel we’re doing on DE&I in their team. The aim is to ensure that we’re an inclusive and welcoming place for everyone. We want everyone to feel like they have an active part to play and can make a difference and have their voices heard.

How can firms encourage inclusivity?

One of the most important ways to do this, in my opinion, is by encouraging allyship. The progress we’ve made in the profession (and wider society) on inclusivity couldn’t have happened without the support of those who are not themselves from underrepresented backgrounds. It takes thousands of individual actions to build inclusion, it doesn’t happen overnight and everyone has the power to make a difference.

All of Gowling WLG's employee networks are open to allies and we have an active Inclusion Allies programme, which everyone at the firm is actively encouraged to join.  Allies are given a lanyard and pin badge as a visible sign of their allyship. But being an effective ally goes beyond the lanyard – the firm supports all allies by providing up-to-date education via newsletters, events and education tools. In return, the ally is expected to challenge others, participate in events and sessions, include others in conversations, and educate themselves on the issues their colleagues face and share.

What’s your favourite way to unwind outside of work?

During the week, my favourite way to unwind is via exercise – whether that's a run, PT session or dog walk. I don’t necessarily enjoy the exertion at the time but I always feel better afterwards.

At the weekends during spring and summer, I like to travel in my campervan with my husband and our dog Alfie. My ideal afternoon involves sitting by the campervan in the middle of the countryside – preferably with the sun shining on my face and a pint of cider or glass of wine in my hand!

Hear from Sushil Kuner, a principal associate advising on all aspects of financial services regulatory law, on her journey into law - from qualifying, the credit crash, redundancies to becoming a financial regulatory specialist.