A woman at the top of her game
8th March 2023
Author EditorPosted on Categories Business
We meet Penina Shepherd, Founder & CEO of ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW & ACUMEN PEOPLE SOLICITORS.
Only few months ago we celebrated the 100th year anniversary of Carrie Morrison, the first woman solicitor in England, admitted on the 18th of December 1922. For history buffs, following the introduction of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919, which permitted women to train as solicitors, Morrison qualified and spent much of her early post-qualification years working as a so-called ‘Poor Man’s Lawyer’, providing pro-bono services to people in London’s East End.
Here we are, 100 years later, having a great sense of pride on this important International Women’s Day, to have a woman solicitor as our founder and leader.
Penina may have a lot of glitz and glam attached to her reputation, but her journey was anything but. When Penina set up the firm, she had a new born baby and two other young children age six and nine. She had no financial backing with no guarantee as to potential income and not even one client on board.
Go back to September 2007, that’s when the biggest recession in years hit the market. ‘The worst economic downturn since the 1920s’ screamed the headlines. Two established law firms closed their Brighton branches at around the same time Penina set up the firm. It was against such depression and concerning economic climate when Penina, being the main breadwinner, with her three young children, straight after maternity leave, was about to embark on a new business project.
“Penina may have a lot of glitz and glam attached to her reputation, but her journey was anything but..”
And as if all the above challenges weren’t enough, while setting up the business Penina was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer and had been told she might not survive.
“On the gender equality front, 75% of Acumen’s Heads of Departments are women.”
The legal industry is notorious for being old-fashioned and unaccepting of innovation. Penina’s vision was to innovate in a sector that doesn’t welcome change, not to mention, a woman leading the said change head-on. As a female business lawyer and a businessperson wanting to set up a professional service firm, Penina was a minority in the “man’s world.” Both the legal sector and the clientele are male-dominated and not so long ago this gender divide was extremely prevalent.
Despite all odds, what Penina did have, however, was an abundance of passion for making a difference in the legal industry. She did exactly that, and in spades.
ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW and its sister firm, ACUMEN PEOPLE, are unique firms, democratically run by all, with no secretaries, letter dictation or pretentiousness. Penina’s revolutionary vision, innovation, and business model have been remarkably successful. The key is the focus on staff satisfaction, diversity, and flexibility.
Penina puts people at the heart of everything she does, this includes staff members, clients and the community as a whole and the firm flourishes with an extremely diverse team. On the gender equality front, 75% of Acumen’s Heads of Departments are women. Acumen is equally proud of the fact that nearly 50% of its staff members have roots and backgrounds from all around the world including Mauritius, Poland, Israel, China, Persia, Spain, India, Brazil, Thailand, and more!
Knowing what it is like to be pushed against the wall, a freshly new project was just launched, the ACUMEN PEOPLE AWARDS to do that extra bit for those who are rarely recognised.
The ACUMEN PEOPLE AWARDS set out to distinguish and showcase 7 – 17 year-olds of the local community who have gone above and beyond in the below categories. These will include, Best Friend of the Year, Bravery, Fundraiser of the Year, Sporting Achievement of the Year, Sustainability Award, Sibling of the Year, Teacher’s Choice, School of the Year, and Young Carer of the Year.
This is Acumen’s way to showcase and highlight the achievements of extraordinary members within the community and thank them for what they have done; showcasing those who would normally go unnoticed and those who can often feel left out. This is what is underneath Penina’s every step in her business journey; dedication to giving a spotlight to everyone, always remembering the time she herself was a woman in an unfavorable situation, working against the odds to make use of what she had.
Next, on the 24th of May 2023 at the Grand hotel in Brighton is the 13th annual ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION. This is a not-for-profit business event, which is a staple of the Sussex business community. With approximately 300 decision-makers, dazzling live entertainment, an extraordinary line-up of talks, Speakers Arena featuring local business heroes TEDx style, a sit- down lunch, and ample networking opportunities, all spiced up with Acumen magic and surprises.
And if you want to see Penina rap, yes rap, check out Penina’s TikTok account @LittleMissLegal.