From travels around China to working at a sector-disrupting disputes-only boutique, solicitor-advocate Lydia (now a senior partner) talks about her career path, as well as a benefit AI may bring to access to justice
What was your route into the profession?
After my father crushed my dreams of being an actress (I was told I would likely be a waitress with a strong sense of rejection), I decided to study history at university. A particularly interesting module on the rise and fall of empires led me to China, where I spent one year teaching English at a leading university in Nanjing and exploring the country. It came with unique challenges, but it was the year I worked out what I was made of.
I undertook my GDL and LPC at the College of Law on Store Street and trained at a west London firm. After three years, I was interviewed in a pub by Messrs Cooke, Young & Keidan, who had the idea of setting up a disputes-only practice. In 2009, good litigation boutiques were pretty rare. I didn’t know it at the time, but Cooke, Young & Keidan (CYK) was a disrupter.
Our entry into the legal market offered clients a new way of litigating. We had low overheads, quality lawyers and we won big. The phone did not stop ringing; we were very busy. Around us, established law firms scrambled for mergers or collapsed as the legal landscape changed. I always say that I was lucky to find CYK, and I was pleased that I had the brains and the foresight to seize the opportunity.
What has been your biggest career challenge so far?
In January 2024, CYK turned 15! For much of my career I had ridden the wave of work arising from the financial crash. However, more and more disputes lawyer at the bigger firms also liked the look of the boutique model, so the competition became stiffer. Good litigation boutiques are less rare.
The covid years were difficult. The disputes market contracted, corporates were settling and renegotiating contract terms. For a time, we had to abandon our fancy new offices and come to terms with a different way of working. We had to keep up staff morale while tackling a once-in-a-century event. It was a time of significant change, which we got through, but I would not like to do it again.
I have gone from junior associate to a senior partner. There will be more challenges in the future and I do expect further change. I will have to face it head on, as always.
Which person within the legal profession inspires you most?
Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond. Like me she hails (no pun intended) from Leeds, and it is not so easy coming from the North to the South. She has made significant contributions to the advancement of female lawyers, particularly through her trailblazing career and advocacy for gender equality in the legal profession. She is a true inspiration and a role model for women aspiring to legal careers. She has demonstrated that women can reach the very pinnacle of the profession and do it with grace and tenacity.
The CYK partnership now has a 50/50 gender split, which helps the quality of decision-making, as we have the benefit of different perspectives on the running of the firm.
If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you choose as an alternative career?
Actress or TV historian.
Who is your favourite fictional lawyer?
Some of my non-lawyer friends think I am the female Harvey Specter (Suits). I don’t know if that is good or bad as I don’t watch legal dramas. So maybe him, or Lionel Hutz (The Simpsons).
What change would you make to the profession?
Affordable access to justice for smaller claims (ie, less than £500,000). The advent of AI will most likely make this happen.
How do you relax?
In January 2020 I decided to take up tennis. It turned out to be a rather good decision, as it was the one of the only sports we could play during the various lockdowns. It is a great sport as it provides a full-body work out, mental stimulation and it is particularly sociable.
Lydia Danon is a partner at Cooke, Young & Keidan, focusing on civil fraud and asset recovery, fintech/hi-tech (including digital assets), partnership and corporate disputes
