Rebecca Alexander: Shortlisted Citywealth Future Leaders Awards 2023

FLiP Associate Rebecca Alexander has been shortlisted in the Citywealth Future Leaders Awards 2023 in the category Family Lawyer of the Year – Associate. The Future Leaders Awards recognises young professionals in the wealth sector and highlight the leaders under 40 of today and tomorrow.

Rebecca has recently featured in an article by Citywealth spotlighting the shortlisted lawyers. You can find the article here but for non members, you can learn a little more about Rebecca in her extended answers to the questions Citywealth asked, below.

1. What is one part of your job that comes easily to you, and one part that does not? How do you approach/overcome the part that is more challenging?

I’ve been practising as a family lawyer for over 5 years now and what I’ve learnt, particularly during my time at Family Law in Partnership, is that to be a successful family lawyer you need to have not only excellent technical legal skills, but also an understanding of the emotional impact that the legal process can have on clients as individuals. For me, personally, it is very important not to see my work as a “battle to be won” but to do what is in the best interests of my client to successfully resolve their case.

I am acutely aware that my clients are often facing challenging situations, both legally and personally. They need a lawyer who is a good listener, and who is both sensitive and understanding of the issues that they are facing, but non-judgmental.

Often, and understandably, emotions can be heightened in the cases that I am involved with, and that can be a more challenging aspect. In my role as a lawyer, I try to remain objective to provide clear sighted and strategic advice, whilst also fully appreciating the personal situation that my client finds themselves in.  

2. Which qualities do you think are necessary to make a good leader?

There are a number of qualities necessary to make a good leader. For me personally, the most important qualities are self-awareness, respect and empathy.

• Self-awareness is paramount for successful leadership. I believe that the better you are able to understand yourself and recognise your own strengths and weaknesses, the more effective you can be as a leader.
• Treating people with respect is one of the most important attributes of a good leader. Being respectful will ease tensions and conflict, create trust and generally improve effectiveness. Respectfulness can be shown in many different ways, but it often starts with simply listening to the people around you and seeking to truly understand their perspectives.
• Empathy is the key pillar of emotional intelligence. It is imperative for improving teamwork and I believe that if you show empathetic leadership, your team are more likely to value you as a leader.

3. Tell us about something new that you’ve tried recently outside of work (This could be anything from a new hobby or activity, recipe or cuisine, area of study, book or TV genre, or something new you’ve experienced with or taught your children. Be as general or specific as you’d like!)

I’ve always enjoyed swimming and it’s been a big part of my life. Over the past few months, I have started swimming outdoors at a lido. I won’t say I have started cold water swimming, given that I started in June, and the veterans at the lido would probably say I have to swim in December before I claim that. Although I personally do find the water cold, even in the summer months!

Rebecca advises a wide range of clients on all aspects of private family law, including divorce, pre and post-nuptial agreements, financial settlements and children issues.

Many of Rebecca’s cases involve complex trust structures, substantial business interests and multi-jurisdictional elements. Rebecca is fluent in French and she also speaks Spanish. She practiced family law in Hong Kong for three years before joining Family Law in Partnership.

Rebecca was part of the team at FLiP who advised the wife in the case of Xanthopoulos v Rakshina [2023] EWFC 50 which was voted the most interesting financial remedy case in the last 12 months. The case has led to several reported judgements over recent months. You can read more about the case in a blog here.