If You Ask Me

In this episode of If You Ask Me, Hannah and Sarah speak to Marianne McJannett, employment law partner at Aberdein Considine, about building a legal career on her own terms.
Marianne shares the story of how she stepped into leadership unusually early, taking on major responsibility just months after qualifying, and how that shaped the way she thinks about confidence, networks and career development. She also talks candidly about using LinkedIn to raise her profile, build credibility and open doors, including how it supported her path to partnership.
The conversation also explores the reality of combining a demanding legal career with motherhood. Marianne reflects on returning from maternity leave, the adjustment of the first six months back, the importance of support at home and at work, and why becoming a parent sharpened her ambition rather than limiting it.
This is an honest and practical conversation about visibility, leadership, flexibility and what career progression can look like when you stop following the traditional script.

In this episode of If You Ask Me, we speak to Joy Davey, partner at CMS, co-founder of Women Who Work, and mother of three, about what it really takes to build a senior legal career alongside family life.
Joy shares her path into law, her determination to make partner, and the reality of navigating promotions, maternity leave and career moves with young children. We talk about the impact of post-Covid flexibility, the pressure many women feel to scale back after becoming mothers, and why ambition does not disappear after having children.
This is a candid conversation about speaking up for what you want, resisting the urge to opt out too early, and creating a version of career and motherhood that works for you.
Expect honest reflections on:
returning to work after maternity leave
full-time versus part-time working
making partner with young children
flexibility in law firms
the support women really need to thrive
A practical and reassuring listen for women in law who want both a fulfilling career and a family life on their own terms.

This episode explores the reality of building a senior legal career while raising a young family and why trying to “do it all” simply doesn’t work.
Georgie Field, partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, shares her journey from returning from maternity leave unsure about her future, to making partner with two young children. She talks candidly about the pressure, self-doubt, and emotional load that comes with that transition, and what ultimately helped her move forward.
The conversation covers the importance of speaking up about your ambitions, the role of flexibility in modern law firms, and why visibility and self-advocacy still matter. Georgie also shares the practical realities behind the scenes—delegating at home, building the right support network, and setting boundaries with clients.
This is an honest look at ambition, motherhood, and the trade-offs involved, along with a reminder that you don’t need to do everything yourself to succeed.

In this episode, we are joined by Harriet Miller, an investment management partner at Macfarlanes, and someone who has built her entire legal career within the firm. Harriet trained at Macfarlanes, discovered her passion for private funds early on, and has now been with the firm for 15 years. She was made partner four years ago while on her second maternity leave. 
In this conversation, Harriet talks openly about what she learned on each maternity leave and how that time helped her come back a stronger lawyer. She shares why she believes motherhood can sharpen judgment and leadership, and how she and her husband built a genuinely shared approach to parenting across two demanding legal careers.
Whether you are a woman planning maternity leave, preparing for partnership, or trying to balance two identities as a lawyer and a parent, Harriet's perspective is both relatable and reassuring. Her story shows that career progression and motherhood do not have to be competing parts. With intention, clarity and the right support systems, they can instead work together.
Host: Sarah Lyons, Founding Director of BlueSky
Host: Hannah Bradshaw, Founding Director of BlueSky
Guest: Harriet Miller, Partner at Macfarlanes

In this episode of If You Ask Me, we are joined by Louise O’Byrne, Partner and Head of the Commercial Department at Arthur Cox.
Louise has spent nearly two decades at the firm, specialising in employment law and progressing through partnership while raising a young family. She reflects on making partner while heavily pregnant with her first child, navigating three maternity leaves and later advancing to equity partnership amid a particularly challenging time in her personal life.
During the conversation, Louise speaks candidly about the realities of combining a demanding legal career with motherhood. She considers why the idea of “having it all” can be misleading, how learning to work alongside uncertainty and organised chaos became part of daily life, and what it means to take on senior leadership while being open about the pressures that can come with it.
The discussion explores the assumptions that can arise when women return from maternity leave, the importance of direct and honest communication within teams, and the shared responsibility involved in managing career progression during periods of change. Louise also reflects on how hybrid working has altered the experience of working parents and what may be driving stronger retention and progression of women within Irish firms compared with some UK-based practices.
Her perspective offers a grounded account of ambition, trade-offs and the evolving shape of leadership across a long legal career.

Host: Sarah Lyons, Founding Director of BlueSky
Host: Hannah Bradshaw, Founding Director of BlueSky
Guest: Louise O’Byrne, Partner at Arthur Cox