News
Keeley Lengthorn Wins Solicitor of the Year!
KEELEY LENGTHORN >
Partner
Wed 16 November 2022
Taylor Rose MW’s Keeley Lengthorn, Partner in our family law department is celebrating after receiving a prestigious award at the Inspirational Women in Law awards – Solicitor of the Year!
Keeley won the award for her work on the Miscarriage Leave Bill and her campaign to extend the legal right for all businesses to offer three days’ paid leave for parents who have experienced a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or molar pregnancy before 24 weeks.
Currently, if a loss occurs before 24 weeks there is no legal right to paid leave, it’s a decision up to individual employers. This is something Keeley believes excludes thousands of women across the UK who suffer a miscarriage before 24 weeks and are required to return to work immediately after suffering such a traumatic incident.
Keeley has taken a great deal of steps in her campaign to support those families affected by this. She is lobbying hard for the introduction of the Miscarriage Leave Bill, put forward by Angela Crawley. It’s aim to make provision for parents who have experienced miscarriage under 24 weeks entitled to 3 days statutory leave. This mirrors the legislation already in place in New Zealand. The bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Commons on 2nd December.
Keeley has appeared on national TV and radio to talk about her ongoing campaign to change the law relating to baby-loss. She was interviewed by the former Labour MP Gloria De Piero, and veteran broadcaster Mark Longhurst on GB News. This was screened by the channel to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week in October 2022.
The Family Law expert has also raised over £30,000 to support baby loss charities Sands and SiMBA whom kindly supported herself and her husband while she grieved the loss of her son, George. Keeley is focused on ensuring that no one has to go through such a harrowing experience and be expected to return to work straight away, without adequate support in place.
Keeley has had a huge impact in-house here at Taylor Rose MW, taking on our newly created role as Fertility Officer. The role is designed to provide additional support within Taylor Rose MW for those on their fertility treatment, to include all stages of pregnancy and sadly loss.
She has drafted a Baby Loss Policy which has been enacted by the firm as well as other firms and businesses. She has also set up an ‘employment baby loss hub’ where people who have suffered a grievance in the workplace through baby loss can access help and assistance from partners within the employment department and two specialist employment barristers.
The Solicitor of the Year award was presented to Keeley at a ceremony at Clifford Chance’s office in Canary Wharf, east London on November 1st. The event also saw Patron Lady Hale present a lifetime achievement award to Baroness Butler-Sloss.
Commenting, Keeley said: “It is a huge honour to receive this award. I’m overwhelmed but for me, the campaign continues. There is a second reading of the Miscarriage Leave Bill in December.”
We congratulate and thank Keeley for all the work she has done, she is truly an inspiration to us all, paving the way for future generations – not only for women but also men who are suffering baby loss.
Please contact Keeley directly for more information regarding her award win or ongoing campaign.
