The Property Litigation Association has appointed Mishcon de Reya partner Chhavie Kapoor as chair of its new committee to promote equity, diversity and inclusion within its membership.
The move coincides with Kapoor’s fellow partner at Mishcon, Mark Reading, beginning his one-year term as chair of the PLA. Reading takes over from Dellah Gilbert, the co-head of diversity and inclusion at Maples Teesdale, who had championed EDI initiatives during her year in the position.
A PLA statement says that, recognising the need to create a more diverse legal industry, an area that has traditionally been slow to change, Kapoor will lead the PLA’s efforts to improve ethnic representation, gender equality and social mobility in the sector, with scope to include other protected characteristics such as sexual orientation and disability in future.
Kapoor and the new EDI committee will support the PLA’s 1,600 members to navigate a wide range of EDI topics – such as benchmarking data to monitor progress, developing action plans, sharing best practice, identifying and nurturing diverse talent and ensuring accountability for inclusion and representation.
Kapoor said: “As an ethnic minority woman, I’m passionate about creating an even playing field for people of all backgrounds and look forward to working with the EDI committee to find innovative new ways to attract a wider diversity of talent to the sector.
“I also want to work with existing PLA members to ensure we are consistently creating safe and positive working environments – so everyone feels they are welcome and belong, with fair access to opportunities, and is empowered to achieve their full potential and thrive.”
Having previously worked at Nabarro and Eversheds, Kapoor has been at Mishcon de Reya for nearly a decade. She has advised landlords and tenants on all aspects of complex property disputes for more than 20 years and represented the successful landlord in the leading case on Covid rent arrears, Bank of New York Mellon v Cine-UK Ltd.
Commenting on Kapoor’s appointment, Rebecca Campbell, vice-chair of the PLA and partner at BCLP said: “We are delighted Chhavie has agreed to chair our new EDI committee. Chhavie’s extensive industry experience and enthusiasm and commitment to EDI made her a standout candidate. She has a clear understanding of the challenges we face in creating a more diverse legal industry, and her vision to build the committee from across our national membership will ensure we draw upon the widest possible range of experience and knowledge to find ways to create meaningful change.”
Speaking on his own appointment, Reading said: “I’ve been a member of the PLA for over 10 years because I believe in – and want to contribute towards creating – an efficient, equitable and modern legal system that works for everyone in property.
“In my new role as chair, I’m delighted and honoured to be representing the PLA’s 1,500 plus members. I’m committed to listening to their views, understanding the challenges they face and working closely with them to find new ways of helping the industry move forward. With the support of my vice-chair Rebecca Campbell, I look forward to identifying and working to overcome the barriers that exist within our profession, with the aim of making it more accessible and increasing representation.”
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