On Monday, a coroner’s court ruled that Vanessa Ford, known professionally as Heap, had died in September 2023 after being struck by a train, having consumed “a significant amount of alcohol while undergoing an acute mental health crisis”.

The inquest cast light on the struggles that Ford, who was a senior equity partner at Pinsent Masons, had faced in the lead up to her tragic death, and spotlighted the intensity of her work life in the months prior.

18-Hour Days