20 Under 40: Jennifer Wall

Meet Jennifer Wall, 34, partner at Harrison Pensa LLP and one of our 20 Under 40 Class of 2021 recipients

A PARTNER AT Harrison Pensa, Jennifer Wall has built a thriving family law practice since moving to the city in 2013. She approaches family law with a unique community-minded vision, insisting great representation makes a huge difference not only in the lives of her clients, but in the creation of stability and certainty for children and extended family for years into the future. Making volunteering her entry point into the London community, she maintains leadership roles several organizations, including the Middlesex Law Association, Daya Counselling Centre and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University.

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What would you call your biggest business achievement, and why?

I would say being made a partner this year. I’m very proud to have earned my colleagues’ trust and respect — and of the confidence that they’ve shown in me. Since beginning with Harrison Pena in 2013, I’ve built relationships with the amazing people here and I’ve steadily taken on more ­responsibility within the firm.

Who, or what, has had the biggest influence on your business life?

My colleagues at Harrison Pensa have been my biggest business influence. At the beginning of my practice, I was very lucky to work under Hillary Houston, who has since retired, and I used her as a model for my own practice. Her approach was always to be ­prepared, organized and practical, and I take that approach as well.

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How have the last two years changed the way you work?

I think that the most valuable thing that I’ve learned in the past two years is to roll with the punches. Law certainly isn’t a profession where you can control everything since there are so many different people and factors involved in every case, but having to cope with the huge changes the pandemic has caused to the way that we litigate, negotiate and communicate has taken that to a new level. I feel like the last two years have been a master class in learning to pivot when circumstances change, make do when conditions aren’t ideal and come up with solutions quickly and creatively.

If you weren’t in your current field, what would you be doing?

I would have loved to do a PhD in classics and then go into academia.

What’s left for you to do — professionally or personally?

I have a trip to Canada’s ­Arctic on my bucket list. Who knows when travel will be practical again, but I’m hoping that I’ll be able to take it soon! Interview by Kieran Delamont