Paige Berges

Litigation & enforcement counsel at Ropes & Gray, specialising in US, UK and EU sanctions, AML and ABC compliance. Conduct pre-investment due diligence, post-investment monitoring and designs bespoke controls frameworks for wide variety of industries throughout the world.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

I always seek to share my expertise, not only through speaking events with the ICA and other organisations, but also continuing to mentor women in my network from previous jobs. Previous mentees are now themselves very successful in the risk and compliance world!

Name your top 3 achievements

1. Becoming a qualified NY lawyer at the age of 23,
2. working at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (in Arusha, Tanzania), and
3. becoming counsel at Ropes & Gray.

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?

In 2014, I left my NY law firm job to pursue adjunct teaching at Fordham Law school and a position as special counsel at Lawyers Without Borders while waiting to secure my job in London. The risk paid off and I now have invaluable international law and legal writing teaching experience.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

I graduated from university and started law school in the US at 19 years old, at the time the youngest to graduate Duke law.

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

Leaders in risk must have integrity – this seems like an obvious answer but I mean in every aspect of their work – for example, not taking credit for others’ work, giving praise where it is due, being honest and transparent with their team, and treating others with respect.