ABOUT KATIE
MEET KATIE DA GAMA
Katie has twenty years’ experience as a legal professional and, until May 2018, was the Managing Partner of the Dublin office of an international law firm. She now practices as an Executive Coach and Leadership Development Consultant. In her 1 to 1 coaching, professional development programmes and consultancy work, she combines her analytical thinking style from her legal experience with her creative and empathetic approach to ensure the focus is always on practical and workable solutions, as well as tangible progress and positive change. Katie adopts a ‘thinking partnership’ method into all of her work and brings a wealth of experience of leading teams and at being at a senior level in business to establish trust and rapport with her clients.
EXPERIENCE
Katie qualified as a lawyer in London in 1998 and worked there both in private practice and in-house, until moving to Dublin in 2004. In her role as Partner in the Dispute Resolution department in Matheson she established a reputation for clear thinking and commercial advice. Katie was asked in 2009 to set up and lead the Irish office of DAC Beachcroft, a UK top 20 law firm. Together with a talented team, she developed the Irish business from 1 to over 50 people in the first 7 years and sat as a member of both the Group and Executive Boards of the global business. Katie has a proven track record in building and sustaining high performing teams and client relationships. Using this expertise in her role as a coach, she works alongside clients (at individual, team and organisation levels) to clarify their goals and to provide them with support as they implement the key outcomes they have identified.
Before setting up my coaching and professional development practice, I was the Managing Partner of an international law firm in Dublin and my career spanned 20+ years as a barrister, solicitor & in-house counsel in Ireland and the UK. In my last role as a lawyer I sat on the Executive Board of DAC Beachcroft LLP and experienced, first hand, the intricacies and practical realities of running a successful law firm.
With this experience and applied understanding of the legal profession, I am uniquely placed to provide customised coaching and professional development services for lawyers and law firms. I understand the environment within which lawyers operate and I speak the language of all legal professionals whether they are starting out in their career, transitioning to partner, making a career move or sitting at the top table of the leadership teams.
EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- MA(Hons) Law, University of Cambridge
- Postgraduate diploma in Bar Vocational Studies, City Law School, University of London
- Postgraduate & Advanced diplomas in Business & Executive Coaching, Smurfit Business School, UCD
- Solicitor (non-practising) Ireland and England & Wales
- Practitioner Accreditation from the European Mentoring & Coaching Council
- Qualified ‘Time to Think’ Coach
WHAT MAKES KATIE SO DIFFERENT?
I understand lawyers and the legal landscape: I have been the trainee, the associate, the in-house team member and the partner. What I have learned, above all, is that the most important and valuable asset in all of the various elements of the legal industry is its people. I work with lawyers of all levels and practices to help them navigate the complexities of a ‘life in law’ with an emphasis on practical solutions grounded in my extensive experience of the legal profession.
As a coach, my approach is pragmatic, empathetic and commercially focused. I draw on my experience in senior leadership positions in the legal industry to work with clients to achieve practical and workable results. My aim is to help all my clients to develop and build on their positive strengths, to discover their fuller purpose and to open up more of their potential.
“Thank you for working with us in such a collaborative way. It has been such a positive experience.”
Talent Development Professional, Irish Law Firm
COMPLIMENTARY CLARITY CALL
If you would like to explore in more depth the coaching, leadership or professional development services I offer, please click on the link below to schedule a free 30 minute, no obligation call to learn more about me and how I can support you and/or your organisation.