London Inc. April 2022 - 11

have quickly spilled over into the hiring and recruiting
processes.
On one hand, she says it has expanded the pool of
candidates for law firms when they are recruiting
associates, since most have been working remotely and
will continue to do that in a hybrid model scenario.
looking for a place that aligns with their values, " she says.
" We've always been change agents, not afraid to take risks
and to make room for the systemically disadvantaged. "
Relating her experiences as a young, first-generation
" YOUNG LAWYERS ARE LOOKING
FOR A PLACE THAT ALIGNS WITH
THEIR VALUES " -Yola Ventresca
On the other hand, " It's created a war for talent, " she
says. With the pandemic cracking open the labour market
for lawyers provincially, nationally and internationally,
Ventresca says stories about New York firms hiring
associates who are living and working in Toronto are now
commonplace.
" We haven't seen as much poaching of our folks in
London, " she adds, something she attributes in part to a
workplace culture going back more than 90 years that she
believes is attractive to young talent. " Young lawyers are
Canadian entering the law field (her parents were born in
Lebanon), Ventresca says one of her biggest challenges was
simply learning the culture of the legal community.
At Lerners, she says she found extraordinary mentors,
and a workplace that supported the retention,
promotion and success of all staff, including women
with families.
Those are values and practices that remain vital
at the firm today, and for Ventresca, they help map
the way to further foster a culture of equity, diversity and
inclusion (EDI) that embraces the unique backgrounds,
perspectives, experiences and talents of individuals at all
levels of the firm - a commitment formalized with the
recent hiring of a full-time EDI specialist.
" These are hard issues to tackle. We put our money
where our mouth is, " she says. " This person's full-time job
is to interrogate our policies and procedures, and to give us
feedback in order to increase diversity and promote
inclusion. "
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London Inc. April 2022

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