Personal profiles, professional insights: Penny Rinta-Suksi, Partner – Commercial & Charities

What attracted you to the field of law, and why your specialist area?

Penny’s route into law was shaped early on by both expectation and inspiration. Growing up as a young Asian woman with aspirational parents, she jokes that she was presented with three career choices: doctor, lawyer or accountant. With hospitals off-putting and maths never her strongest subject, law emerged as the natural fit.

What transformed law from a sensible choice into a genuine passion were two key influences, although one was more inspirational and realistic than the other. First came the television series LA Law, which offered a glimpse of law as something dynamic and aspirational, rather than purely academic. The other was a hugely influential lecturer at Kingston College, who combined teaching law with running a jiu-jitsu club.

Penny recalls. “I felt like I was building my brain and my body at the same time.” Studying both O-level and A-level law alongside economics allowed her to develop a strong foundation in structured thinking and commercial awareness – interests that would later define her career.

Choosing commercial law felt instinctive. Penny enjoyed the real-world application of law to business, the intellectual challenge of contracts, and the satisfaction of helping clients solve complex problems. During her training contract, a six-month seat in a commercial team confirmed it. “I just loved it. I couldn’t get enough.”

What do you enjoy most about your work?

At the heart of Penny’s work is problem-solving. She thrives on helping clients navigate complex projects and takes real pride in over-delivering on what has been promised.

Equally important to her is developing people. Penny is passionate about mentoring, particularly those who may lack confidence or role models. She wants people to see what is possible, regardless of background or personal circumstances.

That commitment is especially strong when it comes to working parents.

“You can still have it all.” She sees working parents as powerful role models – something reflected in her own family life with her twin boys.

Can you share a career highlight with us?

While Penny describes herself as a naturally positive person who finds it difficult to pick a single highlight, September 2025 stands out.

During that month, her team supported three clients with highly complex projects, all with service start dates of 1 October. The pressure was intense, deadlines were immovable, and the workload relentless – but the team delivered.

Penny says. “We kept a sense of humour, supported each other, and got all three clients over the line.”

True to her belief that success should be celebrated, the achievement was marked with a team dinner and drinks – recognising not only those directly involved but also colleagues who helped behind the scenes.

What are your personal highlights?

Becoming an equity partner marked a defining moment in Penny’s career. While partnership had always been an ambition, equity partnership represented something deeper – true ownership.

“For the first time, I really felt like a business owner,” she reflects. “I had skin in the game.” Advising others on their businesses had always been second nature, but now Penny felt fully invested in a commercial enterprise of her own. Rather than signalling an endpoint, it brought renewed focus, responsibility and motivation.

What’s the biggest challenge in your work, and how do you navigate it?

The law itself, Penny says, is often the easiest part. The real challenge lies in juggling multiple roles: business owner, strategist, salesperson, project manager, team leader and lawyer.

Navigating that complexity comes with experience, mistakes and learning. Penny emphasises the importance of self-awareness, prioritisation and accepting that not everything will be perfect all of the time.

What is your approach to building strong client relationships?

For Penny, strong client relationships are built on trust, curiosity and delivery. That means taking a genuine interest in what clients are trying to achieve, managing expectations clearly, and doing exactly what you say you will do.

“Clients have many pressures,” she says. “We are their most trusted partner and we shouldn’t let them down.” Over-delivering while staying within budget is key – as is consistency over time.

One relationship she highlights is her long-standing work with Merton Council, which has spanned firms, frameworks and organisational change.

What keeps you motivated?

Penny draws motivation from responsibility – to clients, colleagues, fellow partners and her team’s future. She is also deeply interested in health and wellbeing and has developed a niche advising local authorities on service delivery through outsourcing and joint ventures.

Her work increasingly intersects with the devolution agenda and local government reorganisation, particularly where it affects health, wellbeing, leisure and community infrastructure.

What makes Blake Morgan a great place to work?

Penny joined Blake Morgan (then Morgan Cole) because of its strength in her specialist area and the diversity of its clients. What sealed the decision was a values-based interview that focused on purpose, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and making a difference.

Blake Morgan’s culture of authenticity, inclusion and genuine care for people has kept her there.

What advice would you give to aspiring lawyers?

Penny’s advice is grounded and honest: believe in yourself, be resilient, and expect setbacks. Law is competitive, and success requires persistence.

She also stresses the importance of investing in wellbeing. “You are only useful if you invest in yourself,” she says. “Put on your own oxygen mask first.”

What makes you tick outside of work?

Skiing is Penny’s ultimate passion. Her ideal non-working day involves blue skies, fresh powder and a full day on the slopes. Fitness plays a central role in her life, from running and strength training to yoga and circuit classes – originally to support skiing, now to build long-term resilience.

Reading, puzzles and lifelong learning round out her downtime, reflecting the same curiosity and discipline she brings to her professional life.