International Women’s Day 2026 – A conversation with Nicola Beneduce

For International Women’s Day this year, the theme ‘Give to Gain’ is all about encouraging individuals and organisations to share knowledge, inspiration and champion each other so that women at all levels thrive.

This year, we spoke to colleagues across the firm about the experiences and insights that have shaped their careers and the support they have received along the way. Next up is Nicola Beneduce, partner in our commercial property team.

Tell us a little about yourself and your role at Harrison Drury.

I qualified as a solicitor in March 2010 after completing my training contract with another firm. I joined Harrison Drury as an associate solicitor in May 2015, and since then I have been promoted to partner and now jointly head up the commercial property team.

Which women (family, famous or otherwise) have had the biggest influence on your life and career? 

There are various women that I have worked with at different stages of my career, who have had impact on me in one way or another.

One that stands out to me was my first line manager at my previous firm. She was a huge supporter of me and always saw my potential, even when I was just starting out as a lawyer.

She always took the time to listen to my queries and guided me through those early stages of my career. Sadly, she passed away 12 months ago, but I will always remember the support and encouragement she gave me.

I bring this experience to my own team at Harrison Drury, and it’s always important to me that we continue to focus on developing our people.

How can leaders ensure they are creating clear pathways that encourage career progression for women? 

It’s important that women feel there are no barriers to career progression simply because they are women. Having taken two periods of maternity leave myself, I understand how it can sometimes feel as though time away from work might hold you back.

In my case, however, the experience was quite the opposite, I was promoted during both of my maternity leaves. Now that I manage a team of 35 people, the majority of whom are women, it’s important to me that they never feel their careers will be held back while they focus on their family and a new baby.

We do this by creating clear pathways to our team with regular personal development meetings and clear objectives for that individual to focus on.

What does International Women’s Day mean for you personally?

International Women’s Day is a time to recognise the strength, resilience, and achievements of women, not just in the workplace but in their homelife too.

Most importantly, it reminds me that progress happens when we champion each other, challenge bias, and create environments where every woman feels valued, heard, and empowered to thrive.

What’s a tip or technique that’s helped you build confidence in your professional voice?

I always remember feeling nervous about going to networking events and walking into a room full of people that I do not know, and I still get that feeling now.

But I try to remind myself that it’s very unlikely that anyone would want to see a person stood alone, so always smile and say hello, someone will always talk to you. And to be yourself, work referrals are often made from the relationships built with contacts over time.