Carolyn Saunders is a Partner and Head of Pensions at Pinsent Masons, one of the largest specialist pensions law teams in the UK. She focuses not just on traditional areas of pensions law, but on issues at the cutting edge of current discourse, particularly around areas such as sustainable investing, climate risk governance and trustee fiduciary duties in this respect. She is an active participant in affinity groups such as the Fawcett Society and has a passionate interest in theatre and the arts.

Carolyn and I met at an event hosted by the Fawcett society and quickly became friends, connected by our shared interest in pensions as well as advancing diversity within our respective professions. Carolyn was also a huge theatre buff, and I was about to spend a month in London in January 2019, and needed some recommendations. Her recommendations were so on point, and so generous that I knew we would enjoy attending some theatre together, which we did, until everything shut down in Spring 2020.

In our podcast I learned even more about Carolyn, including her love of London, of the broader arts, and her journey into law. The podcast was recorded in the early Spring 2021, so when London was once more in Covid-19 induced lockdown. We reflect on what had changed in the city, and her hope for the future. I hope you enjoy our rich conversation.

This series was made possible by the kind support of GuyLaine Charles and Charles Law PLLC, a law firm based in New York City, representing clients in the negotiation of a wide range of financial trading agreements.