Interview with Denise Eastlake
Published on June 29, 2026
Denise Eastlake
Co-Managing Partner of Indemnity Law
(2004–2006 | Corporate)
The career path to managing partner is rarely straight. An ambition for many trainees and newly qualified lawyers, it doesn’t have to be a case of only ever working in law firms until you get there. To find out more about these paths, the Reach team spoke to Denise who has recently become co-managing partner of Indemnity Law. She explains how lawyers often have to follow their instincts and do what feels right on their career journey—and why happiness is not always going to be where you think it is.
“I think it makes sense to explore different career options early, if possible, perhaps before you have major commitments, like a mortgage. That way you can take a few risks and discover if it really is what you want. My ambition was to become a human rights lawyer, and I spent time working with Reprieve which defends people suffering human rights abuses worldwide. The focus of my work was advocating for an individual on death row in Vietnam. One of the best moments of my career to date was when we heard that his death penalty had been commuted to a prison term.
“In order to bolster my litigation experience, I moved to Beachcroft (as it was then). I had intended to stay for only a few years and then move to a human rights-focused firm—but I was there for 14 years! I hadn’t appreciated how vital insurance is to the economy and how it sits behind everything. We saw this clearly during the pandemic with the business interruption litigation, the aviation insurance disputes following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and now with the current shipping crisis in the Middle East. But even in the absence of these huge events, insurance is critical to the operation of all businesses, whatever the sector. We get involved when there has been a loss, such as a fire, so it can be a stressful time for the policyholder, and we often work with forensic experts to determine what caused the loss, and this investigatory aspect is extremely interesting.”
During her time at the firm, Denise also carved out a niche in climate-related legal issues. Recognizing a gap in the market, she developed a focus on climate risk within the insurance sector. “Talking to insurers about the legal risks arising from the changing climate was something I really pushed for. My work eventually became a core part of the firm’s thought leadership platform, and engaging with this connected back to my initial career goals. Although I had moved away from human rights law, my underlying motivation, which was to contribute to meaningful, impactful work, remained.”
A training ground like no other
Denise’s time at the firm formed a crucial foundation for her legal career, helping to shape her technical abilities and her long-term professional outlook. “Looking back, my training offered a wide breadth of exposure and rigorous learning that gave me a solid foundation upon which to build my career and develop my own legal style.
“Each of my seats offered a distinct perspective and allowed me to explore multiple areas of law, as well as being part of each team’s culture and working style. This helped me build a well-rounded skill set that has supported me in my career ever since.”
While the technical training was a key part of Denise’s experience, it’s the people who stand out most strongly in her memories. “I still have two great friends (Katherine Flower and Louise Thompson, both now alumni) that I made when we were all trainees. These friendships have endured well beyond my time at the firm, underscoring the lasting personal impact of the trainee experience.”
One particularly vivid memory comes from her time in the Private Client Team. “I think it was once a month they had this huge gong, and when they rang it, you’d have tea and cake. It was small but memorable moments like this that reflected the distinctive culture of each team.”
Denise remembers the firm’s commitment to excellence. “My supervisor in the Private Client Team was Nick Warr, now the firm’s Senior Partner. I learned a huge amount from Nick, and he was a terrific supervisor. I am grateful for the time he took to give me advice on both areas that I needed to work on, as well as pointing out the skills he could see I had. I remember him emphasizing the need for the work to be technically accurate and for this to be the priority rather than feeling the pressure of trying to complete a task as quickly as possible and rushing it. I really took this on board and now find myself saying to colleagues how beneficial it can be to put advice down for a bit and return to it later (if the timeframes allow). Giving your mind time to work away on it in the background and ultimately improving the quality of the analysis. I also remember a day when Nick pointed out my ability to keep the details of lots of matters in my head at the same time, and this stuck with me. It has given me confidence at times when I know I have a lot of plates spinning at the same time.
“I am very grateful to several key people who have helped shape the lawyer I have become, and Nick was one of the first. At Beachcroft, I will be forever thankful to Richard Evans, who I worked with for over 10 years. He had incredible leadership skills, fostering a wonderfully supportive culture where we could develop our own style, but help was always there when needed. He also emphasized the need to enjoy life outside work and, as he often said, ‘take time to smell the roses’. Sadly, he passed away a few years ago, but I think of his advice often. I consider the leadership skills he demonstrated, and I was able to benefit from, to be his greatest legacy.
“Following Beachcroft, I had the privilege of working with Ingrid Hobbs at Kennedys (now at Simmons & Simmons). She is incredibly impressive and a force of nature. Again, I learned a huge amount from her. If I have a tricky situation, I quite often think to myself ‘what would Ingrid do?’ and that usually means having the confidence to trust your judgment and be yourself. It’s important to me to recognize those who have been role models and provided me with inspiration for the type of leader I would like to be. I hope that I can have the same positive impact on my team.
“I’m also grateful for those colleagues at each of the firms I’ve worked at, who have become close friends and are such an important network for support.”
Leadership and looking ahead
Denise’s career eventually led her into senior leadership, where she now serves as co-managing partner at Indemnity Law. The boutique firm acts for policyholders when facing insurance coverage disputes with their insurers. “Having come from two firms where I acted for insurers, our aim is to be a firm that works for our clients as part of, and not against, the insurance market. We understand how insurers operate and we can use this experience to help clients find a way through the problem. Of course, this cannot always be the case and some disputes become litigious. We are there for the clients every step of the way and this requires not only legal skills but also empathy and an appreciation that this may be their first encounter with the legal system and how it works.
“The transition to a leadership role was gradual rather than sudden. Over time, I became more confident in a step-by-step process, and I saw that colleagues welcomed my opinion and advice.
“Moving into a senior management role brings new challenges, particularly the shift from focusing solely on legal work to managing business operations and people. One of the biggest adjustments has been recognizing limitations. I’ve only been in the role for a short time, but I know that we won’t always be able to say yes to everything. I’m delighted to be sharing the role with Tom Pangbourne, an ex-colleague from Beachcroft, and it’s our aim to stay true to the values embedded by James Morris, who set up the firm just before the pandemic hit in 2020.”
Beyond her professional life, Denise has also embraced new personal challenges. Over the last year, she has taken up cold water swimming—something she never expected to enjoy. “I’ve heard that people who go cold water swimming love to tell everyone about it, but it is very hard not to as I’ve always felt the cold so actually wanting to get into cold water has been a huge surprise to me. Just like my career, it has become a lesson in gradual progress, slowly building confidence.
“It’s such an honour to be featured in the alumni newsletter. Being a niche insurance practice, referrals from other law firms is an important source of new work. Often a company’s usual law firm may be conflicted from acting, or the firm doesn’t have an insurance team and so they will contact us. Literally ‘reaching’ Winston Taylor's alumni wherever they may be is a huge opportunity for me to tell my story and that of my firm. The firm is still providing me with support 20 years after having completed my training contract.
“I also attended the Reach Network alumni event with Professor Brian Cox, which was amazing because, before deciding to become a lawyer at the age of 13, I had desperately wanted to be an astronaut.”
Looking to the future, Denise identifies technology as one of the biggest opportunities for the legal profession. “Ensuring that we keep up with the huge leap in advancements is critical. For Indemnity Law, our move into the managing partner role was part of a broader leadership transition that includes the launching of a new team, led by James Morris. It’s dedicated to developing AI solutions to improve insurance claims outcomes and widen access to our expertise for SME policyholders. It’s exciting and we’re making sure we’re part of it.”
About Reach – The Winston Taylor alumni network
The Reach Network connects everyone who is, and has ever been, part of Winston Taylor UK and Ireland, and legacy Taylor Wessing U.K. It helps our alumni and colleagues to maintain strong connections with each other and to celebrate career success like Denise's.
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