Women in Legal Business - Maria Grazia Longoni

Maria Grazia Longoni is a partner at LCA Studio Legale, specializing in art law, a practice area that places her at the intersection of legal rigour and cultural expertise in a way that very few other specialisms require. Her clients include galleries, museums, collectors, auction houses, and artists: people who are deeply expert in their own domain and who need legal counsel that can meet them there, understanding not just the legal structure of a transaction or dispute but the cultural and reputational dimensions that make it significant. Art law rewards lawyers who can hold both without reducing one to the other.

Looking at your career path, what unique leadership trait has been most instrumental in allowing you to "move the needle" within your organization?

I believe that in the professional career of a lawyer, a key leadership trait for “making a difference” within an organization is authority combined with decision-making ability.

Authority does not derive from hierarchical position, but from professional credibility. A lawyer who demonstrates consistency between ethical principles, legal analysis, and operational choices becomes a reliable point of reference.

In my case, integrity and independence of judgment have taken on particular importance.

Reflecting on the past year, what is the most significant positive change you have observed regarding gender equality and female representation within the upper echelons of the Italian legal market?

Reflecting on the past year, a significant positive change in terms of gender equality and female representation at the top of the Italian legal market concerns the gradual increase in female representation in the legal professions and in positions of responsibility within law firms.

How do you personally advocate for the inclusion of more women in high-stakes decision-making?

Promoting the inclusion of more women in decision-making processes requires structural intervention in the governance architecture and selection criteria.

I believe it is important to define transparent and predetermined appointment criteria.

The presence of women in top management positions is often limited not because of a lack of skills, but because of a lack of enabling pathways.

In a sector historically rooted in traditional structures, what is the single most important cultural shift still required to ensure that the Italian legal business becomes a truly meritocratic environment for the next generation of women?

It is necessary to ensure a truly meritocratic environment for the next generation of women by addressing the way in which opportunities, visibility, and decision-making power are allocated.

Formalized and verifiable promotion criteria must be adopted, along with clear indicators for access to partnership and structured periodic evaluations.

One cultural obstacle that still exists is the assimilation of leadership with unlimited availability, which is often incompatible with family responsibilities. Commitment does not equate to constant presence and unlimited personal sacrifice.

A meritocratic environment does not ask women to “adapt” to a system designed without them, but revises the system so that the rules are neutral, the paths are accessible, and opportunities are assigned transparently.

A structure will be meritocratic when talent is identified using objective criteria; leadership is evaluated for competence and vision; and opportunities are assigned using traceable procedures.

Only then will the next generation of women not have to “overcome a system,” but will be able to compete on equal terms.

Success is rarely a solo journey. How has collaboration with other women (in-house or external) influenced your approach to business, and how are you paying that forward within your team?

Sustainable professional success is increasingly based on cooperative and multidisciplinary models. In this context, collaboration between professionals, whether internal or external to the organization, can have an impact at the strategic, organizational, and cultural levels.

Collaboration between women can change the way business is distributed and developed through the sharing of clients between practices and mutual sponsorship for high-profile assignments.

This contrasts with the logic of individual centralization of client portfolios and favors a model of collective growth. Collaboration must become a method.

One "hard truth" or piece of advice for young women entering the legal profession today?

The legal profession offers significant opportunities for growth and achievement, while also operating within complex dynamics.

It requires strategic awareness, resilience, and the ability to interpret context alongside technical expertise.

The system, like any system, has its challenges.

The key is not to approach it passively, but to understand its mechanisms, work within them effectively, and, when possible, help shape them in constructive ways.