‘Targets and the bottom line aren’t everything’: Lisa McKenna, IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Diversity & Inclusion winner 2024, on fostering an ecosystem of female leadership

Growing up on a mushroom and cattle farm in Co Cavan gave Lisa McKenna a deep sense of the importance of hard graft. While the road from farm to firm seems uncommon, McKenna says it was how she grew up that motivated her to enter the legal profession.

“When I was growing up it was unheard of to go into law unless you had some form of family connection and I had none whatsoever. [However] from a very young age, I was always fascinated with how the law could help people and I was lucky to be born into a family where that was nourished and encouraged.”

I was the only one in my class who came from a farming background and it was difficult to be among those people as they had a different perception of life.”

Lisa studied law after school while juggling four jobs to keep herself afloat. An opportunity to intern at a well-respected law firm in Co Monaghan presented itself and it was from there her legal career began to gain momentum. Lisa consequently secured a traineeship in a top Dublin law firm, run by a female lawyer whom she admired, and, she says, this is where she began to believe that one day she too would own her own practice.

Legal legacy issues

It was during a stint in corporate law McKenna’s eyes were opened to systemic challenges within the industry. She cites watching colleagues running themselves into the ground in a rat race for titles. ‘’It was the straw that broke the camel’s back in terms of wanting to go out on my own,” she says. “There was one girl whose hair began to fall out while trying to make partner.” 

In McKenna’s experience, the legal profession can be dominated by a lot of outmoded thinking. Data shows that the gender pay gap is pronounced in the profession with a wage disparity of almost 61 per cent between male and female solicitors.

McKenna experienced this firsthand when she discovered a male colleague was being paid more than she was, despite the fact that she was hitting more targets and that she had more experience. “When you see that type of prejudice, that’s when you know you can only go about making change yourself by going out on your own,’’ she explains.

Bootstrapping and building 

In 2017, she set up McKenna & Co with zero clients. Today the company has more than 4,500 clients. At the time of starting the business, she wasn’t eligible for any grants or funding from Enterprise Ireland or her Local Enterprise Office but she managed to self-fund with savings. To get the business off the ground she found herself working day and night, often for free, doing wills for wealthy clients, namely “in Howth and Killiney”, to build trust and new relationships. 

There was one girl whose hair began to fall out while trying to make partner.” 

Thankfully, her approach to client acquisition worked and within a month of setting up, she outgrew the kitchen table and took her first office space on Pembroke Street in Dublin’s city centre. She now occupies an entire building on Baggot Street, Dublin 2, with her team of 10 staff and has a turnover north of €1 million. She still retains 100 per cent shareholding of the business. 

Assessing gaps

Lisa’s approach to business involved assessing gaps and opportunities in, what she believes to be, a somewhat antiquated industry by ripping up the old model of assessing success on traditional ‘’billable hours’’ and instead fully placing the client’s needs and client’s schedule at the forefront. This shift has supported, as opposed to hinder, her company’s growth and says the success largely comes down to the communication she and her team have with clients.

“The majority of complaints [that come] through the Legal Services Regulatory Body are around miscommunication between the client and solicitor. Going back to the basics of putting the client first, [we] alleviate their concerns and stresses. We arrange out-of-hours calls and consultations, whatever we can to make things easier for them. We always tell clients to bring their children into the office, that’s no problem and it’s necessary for some clients.’’

A person’s health isn’t worth more because they hold a higher position.” 

McKenna personally travels to clients’ homes or places of care should they be unable to reach her offices for help. ‘’This week I am traveling to a hospital to put a Power of Attorney in place,” she explains.

Equitable employer

The vision of McKenna & Co is deeply rooted in a mission “to help others”. McKenna is a champion of women in law and actively fosters an ecosystem of female leadership and mentoring for those looking to start their own legal firms. Within her own business, creating a culture of equality and excellence is at the centre of the firm’s ethos and was recognised nationally this year when McKenna was the winner of the 2024 Diversity and Inclusion Businesswoman of the Year Community Advocate award at the IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards. 

Having experienced working in outdated hierarchical legal firms, she says she runs her own company from a place of empathy and fairness. Whether it’s a hybrid working model for staff, hiring for soft skills or mental health check-ins, she adopts an inclusive leadership style alongside an open-door policy.

“My main principle is treating everyone as human. Targets and the bottom line aren’t everything; it’s about caring and nurturing your team to ensure they’re supported. You’ll always get the best out of your team when you do your best for them,’’ she says. 

You can’t train attitude and you can’t train passion.”

In many of Ireland’s top law firms, it is common that only partners and associates receive pensions and health benefits, but McKenna ensures all staff members receive this regardless of their status in the company. ‘’A person’s health isn’t worth more because they hold a higher position,” she says. She also brings this approach to other benefits in the office and insists on pooling and the sharing of any gifts fairly amongst the team. “Everything that I have seen done badly in other law firms, I do the exact opposite here,’’ she says. Despite her approach to recruitment becoming more common, it is still the exception – she prioritises attitude over experience. “We don’t hire just on experience; experience can be learned. You can’t train attitude and you can’t train passion – that has to be within the person.”

Charitable core

Corporate social responsibility is important to McKenna and the company supports many causes, including Focus Ireland and local GAA team sponsorship, as well as dedicating time each week to provide free legal advice to the public via Dublin City FM.

Her “Empower to Inspire’’ annual bursary and paid internship programme was born out of a desire to enable access to the legal profession for those experiencing financial hardship or without additional support. McKenna says she didn’t have the financial backing at home to pursue law and so she paid her way through college.

“Back when I went into law, nearly all the people came from wealthy backgrounds. I was the only one in my class who came from a farming background and it was difficult to be among those people as they had a different perception of life.” The bursary fully pays for the FE1 exam and provides a paid internship for the recipient to come work and gain invaluable experience at McKenna & Co, providing a footing in an industry.

Pacing progress

McKenna gave birth to her first child this year and as she is at a pivotal point of scale for her business she urges anyone to pursue their goals.

It may not work out, but if you don’t try you’ll never know and live with regrets.”

“To anyone thinking I won’t set up a law firm because I have a child or I won’t be able to go back to work after (having a baby), it’s important to remember there are (often) two parents in a relationship and the times are changing and compromise needs to be made. If you have a dream to follow, you have to remember if you do have a little one, he or she is going to be looking up to you. It may not work out, but if you don’t try you’ll never know and live with regrets. I have no regrets despite the bad days and challenges. I get to affect change directly.’’

Alongside her work in the firm, McKenna is the youngest elected member of the Dublin Chamber Council.

As the team and turnover continue to increase year on year for McKenna, after seven years of growth and full control of her firm she is now at an exciting tipping point where she is looking to partner.  “While it’s great that I have grown McKenna & Co into such a successful law firm, it’s really important to take on other ideas and different perspectives. I like to be challenged and have someone challenge me, it’s needed to grow the firm to its next stage.”

This is the second in a series of articles written in collaboration with The Currency. Chief Executive of The Currency, Tom Lyons, was a judge at the annual IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards.

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