Left to right: Jennifer Bishop, Chair of the IBA Women Lawyers' Committee; Natasha Tardif, awardee; and Joanna Weller, Global Compliance Counsel, LexisNexis.
Natasha Tardif is announced the winner of the 2024 International Bar Association (IBA) Outstanding International Woman Lawyer Award . The accolade has been given in recognition of her pursuing excellence through gender equality, promoting female leadership and providing mentorship throughout the legal profession for more than two decades.
Supported by LexisNexis , the award recognises those who have shown excellence in their field, inspired other women to pursue legal careers, championed women's rights in the workplace and advanced opportunities for women in law.
Natasha Tardif, co-head of Reed Smith's Competition and European Law department and managing partner of the firm's Paris office, commented: 'Receiving the tenth IBA Outstanding International Woman Lawyer Award is an honour that resonates beyond personal recognition; it represents a collective stride toward legal excellence and a more inclusive and equitable legal profession. This award underscores the International Bar Association's remarkable and powerful commitment to highlighting the exceptional contributions of women to law on a global scale - a vital support for the advancement of our profession. Together, we have the opportunity to build a future where every individual, in their uniqueness, can fully contribute to the excellence and integrity of our field.'
Jennifer Bishop, Chair of the IBA Women Lawyers' Committee and head of the judging panel commented: 'It was my great honour to present the IBA Outstanding International Woman Lawyer Award to Natasha Tardif, whose inclusive leadership, mentorship and advocacy have played a significant role in the advancement of women in the legal profession.'
Ms Tardif is renowned for cultivating excellence in a supportive environment at Reed Smith's Paris office and throughout the firm, enabling women to thrive. She builds and leads diverse teams to advise clients on their most complex competition and regulatory matters. Her practice focuses on successfully guiding clients through highly challenging European and French legal proceedings in competition and regulatory law across sectors. Having resided in multiple countries and worked across various legal frameworks, in London, New York and Paris, her multi-cultural background has instilled the conviction that diversity is a valuable asset that fosters innovative thinking and should be championed.
Ms Tardif also trains future legal professionals, teaching at prestigious institutions including the Universities of Sorbonne, Paris-Panthéon-Assas, Paris Dauphine, Paris Cité, INSEAD, Queen Mary, Seton Hall School of Law and HEC Paris.
The IBA Women Lawyers' Committee presented the IBA Outstanding International Woman Lawyer Award to Ms Tardif during the 10th World Women Lawyers' Conference: Driving Change held from 23-25 October at the Ritz-Carlton in Toronto, Canada.
