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Farmida Bi
CBE
Born (1967-09-02) 2 September 1967 (age 57)
Pakistan
EducationDowning College, Cambridge (LLM) (1989)
HonoursCBE

Farmida Bi CBE (born 2 September 1967) is a British corporate solicitor and the EMEA Chair of Norton Rose Fulbright, having also served as Global Chair in 2022.[1][2][3] She is the United Kingdom's first female chair of a major law firm, and has been named one of Britain's top five most powerful Muslim women.[4][5] She stood as a Labour Party candidate in two elections, and founded Progressive British Muslims three days after the 7/7 London bombings.[6] She was appointed a CBE in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to Law and charity.[2]

Early life and education

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Bi was born in Pakistan, and moved to the United Kingdom at the age of six.[7] She came from a traditional, working-class, British Muslim background, where her mother expected her to marry a first cousin and devote the rest of her life to her husband and family. At the age of 14, this inspired her interest in rights and fairness, and a desire to become a lawyer.[1] She left home to read law at the University of Cambridge, causing a rift between her and her mother and aunt that never fully healed.[8] Although her mother had difficulty understanding Bi's life, she eventually came to terms with it.[1] At Cambridge, she studied at Downing College, graduating in 1989 with a Master of Laws.

Career

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Bi trained as a solicitor at Clifford Chance, qualifying in 1992, before working as an associate at JPMorgan and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. She qualified as a New York attorney in 1999, and was partner at Denton Wilde Sapte from 2002 to 2008, following which she joined Norton Rose Fulbright.[2][9][6]

In the 2005 United Kingdom general election, she stood as a Labour Party candidate in Mole Valley, Surrey, winning 10.7% of the vote.[9][10][11] Bi also ran as the Labour candidate for the Hillside ward in the 2006 Merton London Borough Council election, winning 13.2% of the vote.[12]

She was appointed Chair of EMEA at Norton Rose Fulbright in 2018, making her the first female chair of a major law firm in the United Kingdom, and she continues in that role. She also served as the firm's Global Chair in 2022.[4]

In 2021, she became Chair of the Barbican Centre Trust (the registered charity supporting the Barbican Centre),[13] and she has been Chair of the Patchwork Foundation (a charity promoting the integration of disadvantaged and minority communities into public life) since 2018.[14]

Awards and honours

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In 2009, Bi was named one of the United Kingdom's five most powerful Muslim women.[5] She was a nominated for the British Muslim Awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015 for services to finance and accounts, and services to law.[15][16] In 2018, she was named one of the Financial Times' Top 10 most innovative lawyers[17] and listed in Cranfield University's 2019 Women to Watch supplement.[18] She was included in the Women Role Model list in 2019.[19] She was appointed a CBE in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to Law and charity.[2] Bi has been recognised for her commitment to action towards diversity and inclusion in the workplace.[1][9] She is Chair of the Patchwork Foundation and Barbican Centre Trust, and has been trustee of the Muslim Youth Helpline.[20][21] She was appointed an Honorary Fellow of Downing College, Cambridge in June 2022.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "How this role model lawyer is blazing a trail for women in the legal industry". uk.finance.yahoo.com. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d "Farmida Bi, CBE | Chair, Europe, Middle East and Asia | Global law firm | Norton Rose Fulbright". Norton Rose Fulbright. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Norton Rose Fulbright announces Farmida Bi as its next Global Chair". Norton Rose Fulbright. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Honour's list: 100-year-old Ramadan fundraiser and 'Skipping Sikh' among those recognised". Asian Image. 10 October 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Tory peer named most powerful Muslim women". The Telegraph. 25 March 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  6. ^ a b "IBA - Farmida Bi: IBA profile". International Bar Association. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Welcome diversity in birthday honours list - EasternEye". 14 October 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  8. ^ "IBA - Interview with Farmida Bi". International Bar Association. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  9. ^ a b c Sim, Bérengère. "An Audience With Farmida Bi: 'Racial abuse was just a part of growing up'". www.fnlondon.com. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Multiculturalism, citizenship and national identity". openDemocracy. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  11. ^ "BBC NEWS | Election 2005 | Results | Mole Valley". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  12. ^ "London Borough Council Elections" (PDF). London Datastore. 4 May 2006. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Barbican Centre Trust - Who we are". Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Patchwork Foundation - Trustees". Patchwork Foundation. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  15. ^ "Winners announced at the Inaugural British Muslim Awards | Asian Sunday & Asian Standard Newspaper". 31 January 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  16. ^ "British Muslim Awards 2014 winners". Asian Image. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  17. ^ Boulton, Leyla (4 October 2018). "Top 10 innovative lawyers: the legal profession embraces the future". www.ft.com. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Women to Watch 2019: spotlight on BAME talent | The Voice Online". archive.voice-online.co.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Farmida Bi included in Women Role Model List 2019 | Global law firm | Norton Rose Fulbright". Norton Rose Fulbright. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  20. ^ "The 100 Most Influential Women in European Finance 2019". www.fnlondon.com. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  21. ^ Darbyshire, Madison; Thompson, Barney (15 April 2019). "Can you be a mother and a senior law firm partner?". Financial Times. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
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