Sahar Kianfar, an experienced U.S. qualified securitization lawyer, shares how a switch to legal consulting helped her navigate changing family circumstances while never missing a beat for clients.
Soon after graduating from law school as a U.S. qualified attorney, Sahar Kianfar joined Allen & Overy’s (now A&O Shearman) capital markets team in London, developing a passion for securitization and building deep relationships with her colleagues and clients. As a California native, she wanted to divide her time between London and California and joining Peerpoint provided a profoundly unique opportunity to stay close to her clients and keep her career progress on track, while travelling back and forth across the Atlantic.
Sahar’s securitization practice was going from strength to strength when she opted to relocate to California, where she grew up. She joined a leading U.S. law firm and took on a broader capital markets role but then hit a crossroads when she returned from maternity leave after having her first child.
“From a career perspective, I was highly motivated and was on track to do quite well, quite quickly,” says Sahar. “Though I had an equally strong desire to be a key part of my young children’s experiences. With my first child, I took a year off for maternity leave and spent a lot of time talking to successful female lawyers with children, where the overwhelming message at the time was that there was still a heavy penalty for taking a career break to be a stay-at-home parent when trying to re-enter the workforce when your children are older.”
Finding the right balance
On returning to work at another law firm she was disappointed to find a hostile environment with limited support for working parents keen to juggle a busy legal career with the demands of a growing family. Enter Peerpoint, which Sahar says allowed her a unique opportunity to return to her previous securitization practice with a working arrangement that did not require her to compromise on any front.
A switch to Peerpoint allowed Sahar to build the career and life that she wanted, without having to sacrifice one for the other. She was able to work remotely, dividing her time between the UK and the U.S., while engaging in challenging legal work, alongside spending meaningful time with her children.
Regardless of where she was based at any given time, Sahar worked London hours and continued to be on hand for her clients whenever required, achieving the flexibility she needed without interrupting the service she delivered.
She was able to rekindle her relationships with financial institutions where she had left off. They benefited from seamless access to her considerable expertise even though she was a legal consultant and not a permanent member of legacy Allen & Overy’s capital markets team.
The transatlantic senior associate
After giving herself the breathing room to focus more on life outside work, and with the benefit of the post-pandemic move to support remote working generally, this year Sahar decided to settle in California permanently. She was also ready to rejoin A&O Shearman on a permanent basis as a senior associate, with all the responsibilities and time commitments that come along with the role.
Through Peerpoint, Sahar demonstrated to both herself and the practice at A&O Shearman that her desired working arrangement could be beneficial for both sides. When rejoining the firm as a senior associate, she agreed a work pattern very similar to the one she followed when working through Peerpoint: one that allows her to continue to build on her practice in London while also allowing her to be present for her growing family on the other side of the Atlantic.
She says she continued to advise on cutting edge transactions and strengthen her client ties, as she would have done if she was still an associate. “From the client perspective, there was no difference: I was on the same transactions, I did client development work and participated in industry conferences. I did everything you would expect of a seasoned associate.”
But she felt she did not have to sacrifice her personal goals either. “Peerpoint gave me the opportunity to create a model that worked for my personal life – both to spend time on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as meaningful time with my children, without feeling a conflict with meeting the demands of a big firm career.”
Career coaching and mentoring
For A&O Shearman, there was the benefit of holding onto a valuable team member who could add expert resource to transactions. Peerpoint helped Sahar navigate her professional growth through career coaching and mentoring while providing access to bespoke training and development programs.
“When I was trying to make important career decisions, the Peerpoint team was very supportive and crucial in my ability to actively think about forging a model that worked for me,” says Sahar. “We had frank discussions about what would be good for my career, how I should think about transitions and how I should approach difficult discussions. That unbiased third-party input was invaluable and something I wouldn’t have had as an associate. That level of thoughtful guidance in my career was so appreciated.”
Sahar is now back on the more traditional associate path, picking up her career without having suffered the penalty she feared, had she taken time out to be a stay at home parent.
Continuity for clients
From a client perspective, nothing has changed: “I have always worked with my securitization colleagues and I have kept the continuity going in my client relationships, while it has all been very fluid for me personally,” says Sahar. “If I had taken a big career break, I might have struggled to reconnect with people – both within the firm and at clients.”
Flexible legal work through Peerpoint allowed Sahar, as mother to two boys under ten, to stay in control and find her own balance, while still continuing to move her career forward.
Working London hours from California suits her well: “I was always an early riser,” says Sahar. “And for me the tradeoff is worth it – given the time difference, I am able to focus on my legal work in the early hours, while never feeling conflicted about being present for my children on pick up from school. We all need to think about the set of circumstances that is optimal for us and manage our time to give our best selves.”
She adds: “The opportunity that Peerpoint provided for me, as I navigated through creating a professional and personal model that worked for me, is something I will be eternally grateful for.”