This website uses cookies. By using this website, you agree to our Cookie Policy.
International Women's Day: Finding My Voice, One Deal at a Time
Reprinted from: Structured Credit Investor | 03/09/2026Cadwalader partner Jinisha Patel authored an International Women’s Day feature for Structured Credit Investor, arguing that this year’s theme, “Give to Gain,” is “not a slogan, but a performance strategy for Big Law.”
Reflecting on her career in structured finance, Jinisha writes that early on she “had to build trust and earn credibility one deal at a time,” but later realized that “letting the work speak for itself could only get me so far.” Finding her voice meant championing her own successes and, ultimately, “being the change I wanted to see.”
She notes that genuine inclusion goes beyond token representation: “It’s about being intentional about who gets staffed on complex deals, who is brought into client conversations and who is trusted to lead.” For true meritocracy, she says, “we must give women and other underrepresented groups the business-building opportunities that create it.”
At Cadwalader, Jinisha advances this mission through the London Women’s Network and The Girls in Finance programme, which helps girls from ethnic minority backgrounds see finance “as tangible — through games and relatable stories.” She underscores that “when inclusion is shared, rather than delegated, the whole organisation benefits.”
“Give to Gain,” she concludes, “is how we build a smarter, more resilient market — one where opportunity, not scarcity, abounds.”
Read the full article here.
