International Women’s Day Series: Giving back keeps me grounded as a lawyer

International Women’s Day is not only about celebrating achievement, but also about recognising the wider impact of how we work, lead and give back. The theme Give to Gain highlights that progress isn’t individual but rooted in community, connection, and a willingness to look beyond ourselves.

For Parminder, gunnercooke Pensions Partner and Hub Leader at the gunnercooke foundation, giving is about staying connected to something bigger than the firm.

In a career that takes a lot, she reflects on how giving back brings perspective, empathy and effectiveness, and why being part of gunnercooke means never having to choose between professional success and personal values.

What does giving mean to you?

It is about being connected to something larger than myself, larger than the firm and the enrichment that brings, both personally and professionally.

Why is it important to you to have time to give back alongside your career?

Giving back keeps me grounded and connected to realities outside the professional bubble, which has an its own unexpected and welcome consequences; making me a more empathetic and effective lawyer.

What are the causes important to you?

The causes championed by my Hub members collectively shine a light on some of the most pressing issues in our society: justice, social mobility, and support for the underrepresented, including refugees, those experiencing homelessness, survivors of domestic abuse, and healthcare workers.

Others can engage with inspire* and the charities we support by taking the time to understand even just one of these causes, that single step of awareness can open the door to meaningful change for a charity and the people it serves.

Is there a campaign  you are most proud of?

The work I am most proud of is the direct, local impact through our inspire* Hub, facilitating meetings and workshops and connections that have genuinely changed how CEOs see their own potential.

Additionally, with Wrap Up London I have volunteered since I joined gunnercooke over 5 years ago, and thoroughly enjoy it, moreover the achievements of our hard work every year, help so many!

What does it mean to you to be part of a firm with a wider purpose?

Being part of a firm with a wider purpose means my values and my career are genuinely aligned I do not have to separate who I am professionally from who I am as someone who cares about community. gunnercooke understands that lawyers who give back are more motivated and well-rounded.

You can read more about Parminder and her work here.