IBA awards international woman lawyer accolade to Natasha Tardif

Tardif is the managing partner of Reed Smith's Paris office

IBA awards international woman lawyer accolade to Natasha Tardif

The International Bar Association has crowned Reed Smith Paris managing partner Natasha Tardif as its 2024 Outstanding International Woman Lawyer.

The award recognises Tardif’s contributions to advancing gender equality and advocating for female leadership. It also honors her mentorship efforts over a period of more than 20 years.

In addition to leading the Paris office, Tardif co-leads Reed Smith’s competition and European law department. She has spearheaded teams assisting clients with complex competition and regulatory matters.

She has advised on competition and regulatory law issues involved in European and French legal proceedings. She has also worked in London and New York.

Tardif has held teaching posts at the Sorbonne, Paris-Panthéon-Assas, Paris Dauphine, Paris Cité, INSEAD, Queen Mary, Seton Hall School of Law, and HEC Paris. According to the IBA, her multicultural roots drove desire to champion diversity.

“Receiving the tenth IBA Outstanding International Woman Lawyer Award is an honour that resonates beyond personal recognition; it represents a collective stride toward legal excellence and a more inclusive and equitable legal profession,” Tardif said. “This award underscores the International Bar Association’s remarkable and powerful commitment to highlighting the exceptional contributions of women to law on a global scale – a vital support for the advancement of our profession.”

IBA Women Lawyers' Committee Chair Jennifer Bishop, who also led the judging panel, said that Tardif’s “inclusive leadership, mentorship and advocacy have played a significant role in the advancement of women in the legal profession.”

Tardif received the IBA Outstanding International Woman Lawyer Award at the 10th World Women Lawyers' Conference: Driving Change, which was held last month in Toronto. LexisNexis sponsored the award, which seeks to showcase female lawyers who excelled in their area of law, became an inspiration to young women considering a career in law, pushed for women’s rights at work, and created more opportunities for their peers.