“Women advance to leadership in law, yet structural barriers remain”

Leaders League: What decisions and convictions were key in making your way to leadership in such a technical and demanding field as competition law?

Nicole Nehme: I believe the most important one was persisting in an area that fascinated me since my university years ‒ the intersection between law and economics. That interest eventually led me to specialize in economic regulation and competition law at a time when these were still emerging fields in Chile.

Later, when Rodrigo Ferrada and I founded FerradaNehme in 2000, we decided that it would be a firm focused on specialist practice areas, developed with great depth and approached through collaborative and interdisciplinary work. That vision expanded over time with the addition of new partners and practice areas.

A fundamental conviction that I have always maintained is the importance of working with excellence and creativity, constantly seeking innovative and coherent solutions, without ever compromising professional ethics.

Finally, I believe that combining professional practice with academia is tremendously enriching. It requires staying up to date with new developments and allows one to learn through interaction with students.

What significant changes have you observed in the way women today access complex mandates and leadership positions in top-tier law firms?

Over my nearly 30 years of professional practice, I have been pleased to see that the number of women reaching leadership positions in law firms, companies, public institutions and the judiciary has increased.

It is no longer just a handful of women symbolizing the possibility of reaching high-level positions; today there is a larger and more representative group across different areas of specialization holding leadership roles. This is very important in terms of the expectations young female lawyers can have for their future.

That said, this does not mean the numbers are sufficient or that barriers no longer exist. In law firms in particular, although there are many women, the proportion who become partners is still significantly lower due to a range of structural and cultural constraints that unfortunately persist.

Leadership is not a straight line ‒ it is built through cycles of success, difficulty and the ability to adapt

Do you believe a culture of meritocracy alone is sufficient to guarantee equal opportunities in the profession?

As I mentioned, structural barriers still exist and must be addressed.

Among them is the lack of shared responsibility within families, which often places the burden of balancing professional and family life primarily on women. There are also practices within law firms that should be made visible and changed, such as remuneration mechanisms, the way work is measured ‒ mainly through billable hours ‒ cultural biases in team formation or in the allocation of opportunities, such as visibility in major cases, travel opportunities or the inclusion of achievements in ranking submissions.

There are also unfair penalties related to pre- and postnatal leave, as well as decisions that ultimately advantage certain lawyers ‒ for example rewarding client networks, which, due to cultural reasons, often develop more strongly among men.

All of these issues can be addressed by recognizing them and adopting serious policies that correct or mitigate them in a meaningful way, rather than merely resorting to formal or symbolic efforts.

In highly technical and traditionally male-dominated fields such as competition law, how is professional authority and credibility built?

Through hard work, consistency, commitment and the flexibility to adapt to the specifics of each case. It also requires empathy to understand the perspectives and decision-making processes of those around us.

Trusting your team and helping them grow and shine is essential, as is maintaining composure both in victory and in defeat. Courage is necessary in difficult moments ‒ which inevitably arise ‒ as well as the conviction to do what is right.

It is also important to prioritize long-term decisions rather than focusing only on immediate results. And beyond all that, an element of luck is always involved. It is good to recognize it and be grateful for it.

What message would you give to young female lawyers aspiring to leadership in the profession?

I believe it is very important for each woman to remain true to herself. Every woman is different, and each path will therefore be different.

If someone trusts her abilities and chooses to work with passion, striving for excellence and truth in what she does ‒ while maintaining intellectual honesty and recognizing the work of her peers ‒ and is willing to innovate, she will pave a steady path to leadership.

Recognizing difficulties and learning from them with humility is just as important as achieving success. Life is not a straight line; it has cycles, highs and lows. The ability to adapt and acknowledge one’s own fragility ‒ paradoxically ‒ becomes part of one’s strength.