Ref: FYF-SM-014

Shirah

Solicitor-Advocate

📍

London

Roles Available

Lawyer

Expertise

B Corp Certification
Compliance
Corporate Board Governance

Introduction

I'm a multilingual lawyer, public speaker, Partner, and social impact leader with over a decade of executive and board-level experience across the legal, humanitarian, and governance sectors. I currently serve as Vice Chair and Non-Executive Director at Amnesty International UK, where I support strategic oversight, CEO recruitment, Chair recruitment, Succession planning, board development, and organisational transformation. I am a Partner of a London law firm, Themis Crown Advocates, and lead the ESG advisory team. My leadership style is inclusive, evidence-based, and values-driven, grounded in both lived experience and a commitment to ethical innovation. Over the years, I've founded and led award-winning organisations and I have championed inclusivity and diversity. I am the recipient of multiple awards for my inclusive leadership and legal advisory work.

Key Achievements

  • Board & Governance Leadership Milesontes:
  • Vice Chair & Trustee, Amnesty International UK – Oversaw CEO succession, strengthened governance, and improved board/staff relations at a £25M organisation with 157 employees.
  • Increased gender representation on the board from 20% to 50% male membership.
  • Increased ethnic diversity on the board from 20% to 30% BAME representation.
  • Recruited and onboarded 4 new trustees and a Director of Fundraising to reshape AIUK’s leadership and income strategy.
  • Implemented board skills gap analysis, training needs assessments, and capacity-building across sub-committees.
  • Executive Leadership & Innovation Milestones:
  • Founder & CEO, I Am Somebody’s Child Soldier – Built an award-winning international NGO from the ground up supporting over 1,000 war-affected children with mental health needs in Uganda.
  • Raised over £1 million through public donations, grant funding, and corporate partnerships (Pepsi, Brussels Airlines, UCL).

Qualifications

  • Solicitor-Advocate (Civil Courts, England & Wales)
  • PhD - Sustainable and Wellbeing Architecture Innovation, University College London (2019 - 2024)
  • Master's in Public Administration - Development, Technology & Innovation Policy - University College London (Distinction) (2018)
  • Legal Practice Course (Distinction) - BPP Law School
  • LLB Law (2:1) - University of Kent
  • Executive Leadership Programme - Yale School of Management