By contrast, the teamwork in Ms Davidson’s practice group is “very obvious”, she said.

Ms Davidson convenes a weekly team meeting, which includes lawyers of all levels.

“Ensuring that all members of the team participate in these meetings means that every person, no matter how senior, has a valued role to play,” she said.

Ms Davidson joined Holman Fenwick Willan one year ago, bringing a team of 12 projects practitioners with her.

She is also the chair of PEARLS, a charity dedicated to medical research into pre-eclampsia, a condition involving high-blood pressure in pregnancy. 

Fellow finalist in the construction and infrastructure category, Maysaa Parrino from Colin Biggers & Paisley, also believes in a people-centric approach to leadership.  

“Regardless of the time mentoring and supervising takes in non-chargeable hours, taking the time to invest in your staff translates into a great investment [for the firm],” she said.

Ms Parrino also pioneered flexible working arrangements at her firm, championing a maternity leave policy for partners.

“I believe in fostering a culture of mutual respect and I am a firm believer that providing flexible working arrangements for your staff is a way of showing that you value them,” she said.

Other finalists in the construction and infrastructure category include Emanual Confos from Norton Rose Fulbright, Chris Mitchell of King & Wood Mallesons, Emma Warren of Allens, Mark Upfold of King & Wood Mallesons, Sandra Steele of K&L Gates and Victor Daminato of Crawford Legal.

Winners will be announced at a black-tie gala on 28 April at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth – tickets are on sale now.