Gay BigLaw Partner: Coming Out Helped My Career

Coming out of the closet about his sexual orientation has helped his career, says a London partner at one of the world's biggest and best-known law firms.

Stephen Shea, a tax partner at Clifford Chance, says he is more relaxed with colleagues and clients and willing to take on new challenges at the BigLaw behemoth now that he doesn't have to worry about keeping a low profile about being gay, reports the London Times. And that, in turn, has helped his career, he says.

"Having felt like I was rowing against the stream, all of a sudden my boat had turned around. And it had an outboard motor strapped on. Getting everything out in the open gave me this tremendous feeling of power and I immediately became a more effective professional."