Norton Rose Fulbright appoints Farmida Bi as next global chair

Norton Rose Fulbright appoints Farmida Bi as next global chair

London-based, Islamic finance specialist, Farmida Bi appointed by Norton Rose Fulbright to take over as next global chair in January

Islamic finance specialist Farmida Bi will take over from US chair Shauna Clark in the ambassadorial role, which is interchanged per annum across the firm's regions, on 1 January.

Since 2018, Bi has chaired the firm's Europe, Middle East and Asia arm having been re-elected for a second three-year term early 2021. She specifies in debt capital markets and has professed a particular interest in the role Islamic finance can play as a form of ethical finance, hence support the UN Social Development Goals.

She intended "to nurture a culture of inclusivity and invention" at the firm, adding, "We are facing exceptional changes, both as a firm and a society, as we appear from the global pandemic and respond to the climate crisis."

Bi's status as the highest finance lawyer from the Muslim community in UK has frequently received her national acknowledgement. Her name also included in The Times' first Muslim Women Power List along with entrepreneurs, politicians and media personalities.

She chairs the trustees for the Barbican Centre Trust, the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Moreover, she heads the Patchwork Foundation that promotes engagement in politics and civil society for young people from disadvantaged credentials.

In 2020, she was recognised for her services to the law and was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE).

NRF achieved a significant benchmark in January 2020 when more than 50 percent of the 47 partners were women who were promoted across its network.