Pitch to powerhouse: how a junior Lewis Silkin lawyer set up her own practice
Returning from secondment, Lewis Silkin lawyer Amy Nevins pitched an idea of setting up a new practice within the firm. Here’s how she did it.
“I was homeless. I ran illegal raves. Now I’m CEO of a law firm”
Entrepreneurialism is in Adam Pope’s blood. “My dad was a hustler, selling tracksuits and the like. I was ill as a child, so I spent a lot of time at home and in that environment. I would mow lawns and wash cars, doing anything I could to make money.” These days, Pope is the founder […]
Two lawyers, one Olympic dream
With the Paris Olympics set to begin tonight, The Lawyer caught up with marathon runner Rose Harvey, who began running to make friends outside law school, and equestrian athlete Caroline Chew, a Freshfields competition associate.
Election 2024: We quiz the Capsticks associate standing in Christchurch
Senior associate Jo Howard is standing for the Labour Party in Christchurch.
Election 2024: We quiz the Browne Jacobson partner standing in Lichfield
Browne Jacobson finance head Paul Ray is contesting Lichfield for the Liberal Democrats against Michael Fabricant. We asked him for his views on law and politics
My Pride Story: The ‘other’ mother
It took a long time after Willow was born for me to start to feel like a “parent”. Society links “parenthood” to if you provided the genetics, and people feel they are owed an explanation on who her dad is and what we know about him. I’ve had people immediately gloss over me and ask […]
My Pride Story: When personal identity and professional practice meet
My Pride story started pretty cautiously. I think I have always had a strong underlying sense of self (old school reports often included phrases like “Nick has a strong sense of justice…” or, perhaps less positively, “Nick is quite opinionated…”), but I wasn’t comfortable coming out to anyone except my closest friends until I was […]
My Pride Story: From Greece to the UK
I started as a legal assistant at Freeths exactly one year ago. Since then, I have achieved two of my greatest goals of securing a training contract with the firm and becoming involved in the firm’s LGBTQ+ network, SHINE. At the age of 14, I declared to my parents that I would be moving abroad […]
“The GC decided not to replace our boss and see what happened – total anarchy followed”
Name: Mel Rowlands Organisation: Sonnedix (International Renewable Energy Business) Role: General Counsel Based: London Trained at: Eversheds. Year qualified: pre-2000! (it’s nice to know I can still be hot!) What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Right from the start of my career I always loved M&A deals but I remember being totally […]
“Never let anyone tell you what you are capable of achieving”
Name: Zaqia Rashid Organisation: TLT Role: Head of public inquiries and public law Based: London Year qualified: Scotland 1992; England and Wales 2007 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? My most vivid memory is working on a Fatal Accident Inquiry in Scotland which involved the suicide of a female prisoner in HMP […]
“I miss the adrenalin rush of a corporate deal”
Name: Karl Jansen Organisation: Freeths Role: National managing partner Based: Nottingham Trained at: Davies Arnold Cooper Year qualified: 1990 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Although I’m showing my age, it has to be the many hours spent at the fax machine! That apart, I really enjoyed my articles (showing my age […]
“I chose a career in law over a career in TV”
Name: Katie Chandler Organisation: Taylor Wessing Role: Partner Based: London Trained at: Taylor Wessing Year qualified: 2007 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? My first week at Taylor Wessing when I was asked to attend the trial of Conor Medsystems Inc v Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc to be a witness bowler for the […]
By far the hardest question in interview has been ‘Are you a good person?’
Name: Davinder Mann Organisation: UK Infrastructure Bank Role: General Counsel and Company Secretary Based: London Trained at: Herbert Smith Year qualified: September 2003 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Sorting out hundreds of car park leases during my real estate seat late one night only to peer out of Exchange House to […]
My most vivid pupillage memory? Prawn involved in Road Traffic Collision”
Name: Sara George Organisation: Sidley Austin Role: Partner, Head of Crisis Management for Europe Based: London Trained at: Criminal Bar – Chambers of Ann Rafferty QC 4 Brick Court Year qualified: 1999 What’s your most vivid memory from being a pupil? Representing the driver of a seafood van topped with an enormous papier mache prawn […]
“Writing a book altered the course of my career entirely”
Name: Christian Weaver Organisation: Garden Court North Role: Barrister Based: Manchester Trained at: Garden Court North Year qualified: 2012 What is your most vivid memory from being a pupil? Certainly the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a profound sad time for so many. On reflection, however, it perhaps did have some unexpected career advantages as a pupil. Firstly, Covid-19 […]
“I nearly became a professional massage therapist”
Name: Gurminder Kaur Nijjar Organisation: Irwin Mitchell Role: Group Deputy General Counsel Based: Birmingham Trained at: Harvey McKibbin Solicitors Year qualified: 2011 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Attending a hearing on behalf of client for their alcohol/premises licence application. The client found the whole process confusing and was completely reliant on […]
“My hardest career question to date: “Are you happy?””
Name: Paddy Linighan Organisation: Clyde & Co Role: Chief Sustainability Officer Based: London Trained at: Robson Rhodes Chartered Accountants Year qualified: 1990, ACA, ICAEW What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? I pursued an accountancy training contract not because I wanted to be an accountant per se, but to see and experience how […]
“Being thoughtful about career decisions doesn’t mean you have to know what you want to do next”
Name: Shikha Sethi Organisation: Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Role: Director & Legal Counsel, EMEA Based: London Trained at: Allens (Sydney, Australia) Year qualified: 2012 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Making my first court appearance to request a stay of proceedings. I spent the entire morning nervously rehearsing the three sentences I […]
“Sometimes specialising opens up more doors than it closes.”
Name: Matthew Merkle Organisation: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison Role: Partner and head of European capital markets Based: London Trained at: N/A (US-qualified lawyer) Year qualified: 2009 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee/pupil? As a junior associate in New York, my most vivid impression was a sense of being overwhelmed by […]
“Recruiters told me I’d never be able to work at a big firm in England”
Name: Ainslie Cranwell Organisation: Volvo Group Role: Group Litigation Counsel Based: London Trained at: Dentons (formerly Fisher Jeffries – Adelaide, South Australia) Year qualified: 2010 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? I was sent on quite a few errands as a trainee. I took the view that they were nice breaks from […]
“I had to choose between going to work in New York or going in-house”
Name: Spencer Davis Organisation: Lifezone Metals Role: Group General Counsel Based: London Trained at: Lewis Silkin Year qualified: 2002 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? There are so many. Playing cricket in a square behind Fleet Street, running down to the RCJ to pay fees, microfiches and bundling at all hours, learning […]
“I told my interviewer I wanted to meet Jack the Ripper”
Name: Sarah Rafi Organisation: Ardonagh Advisory Role: Deputy General Counsel Based: London Trained at: Ashurst Year qualified: 2010 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Strangely, after so many years, quite a lot of my training contract remains incredibly vivid – probably because it was a time of so many new experiences and […]
Making partner: How this senior associate is building a tech practice in Leeds
Not every lawyer aspires to make partner anymore, but for Mills & Reeve senior associate Oliver King, it is “absolutely” his intention. But, like with any promotion, he must first build and plead his business case, which he believes is rooted in Leeds’ thriving tech sector. “The tech sector in Leeds has been huge for […]
“Don’t worry about your background: I’m from a state school in Poland”
Name: Kajetan Wandowicz Organisation: 4 Pump Court Role: Barrister Location: London Trained at: 4 Pump Court Year qualified: 2018 What’s your most vivid memory from being a pupil? Being invited to join my chambers. It was a sunny morning in late June, still some three months away from the completion of pupillage, and my co-pupil […]
Linklaters associates get innovative
What does it take to be an innovation lawyer at Linklaters? With technology evolving at rapid pace, Linklaters has been appointing associates as dedicated team contacts to connect each of its three key divisions to the innovation group.
“I was one of those trainees who left a bag of client documents on a train”
Name: Ranjit Dhindsa Organisation: Fieldfisher Role: Head of employment, pensions, immigration and compliance practice Based: Birmingham Trained at: Warren & Allen Year Qualified: 1994 What is your most vivid memory from being a trainee pupil? Leaving a bag containing client documents on a train by accident. This was before the days when such a mistake […]
“I was told a lawyer and a doctor would find it hard to have a relationship and careers”
Name: Geraint Davies Organisation: Howes Percival Role: Chairman Based: Leicester Trained at: Mackrell Turner Garrett, London Year Qualified: 1991 What is your most vivid memory from being a trainee? I’ll never forget an incident at one of my first trials while I was a trainee. My client, who was bringing a personal injury claim, was […]
“I thought I was going to be fired… but then he showed me his foot”
Name: Stella Wong Organisation: Hogan Lovells Role: Partner, patent litigation Based: London Trained at: Hogan Lovells Year qualified: 2007 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Someone more senior than me came into my office, looked over his shoulder and shut the door. My first thought was that I must be in big […]
“Going to a four-day week 20 years ago was the best career move I ever made”
Name: David Hunter Organisation: Bates Wells Role: Senior counsel Based: London Trained at: Freshfields Year qualified: 1994 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Taking my mum into Freshfields’ offices (on Fleet St) one weekend to show her where I worked and that her years standing on Preston market selling greetings cards […]
Beyond the Bubble: Two new managing partners set out their mid-tier visions
Cripps’ new leader sets sights on further growth Tunbridge Wells: Gavin Tyler stepped down as managing partner of Cripps at the end of April after a long career at the firm. His leaving dinner was apparently a highly emotional occasion, not least in gratitude for the sense of calm and stability he brought during the […]
Weightmans’ boss Schorah: We need to be more aggressive
Liverpool headquartered Weightmans has enjoyed a comfortable few years, which has seen it keep hold of its position of as one of the UK’s top 50 firms by revenue.
Ashurst: Overhauling remuneration is not enough
Paul Jenkins was a bold choice for managing partner, and now he’s running the firm during one of the most turbulent periods in its history. 15 July: Ashurst partners: ‘We can turn things around’ 26 July: Ashurst CFO quits
Deloitte Legal: “We want to be the law firm of the future”
The story of the re-entry of the Big Four accountancy firms into legal services has occupied many minds in the last year or so. But in the UK, there is one notable absence – Deloitte. While its rivals EY, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers have all been busy hiring senior lawyers from top private practice firms Deloitte has stayed away from the UK market.
Irwin Mitchell private wealth: Big, but not a threat
Last November Irwin Mitchell announced that it was acquiring southeast firm Thomas Eggar. The deal gave the northern-focused Irwin Mitchell an additional six offices in the south of England and has boosted the firm’s turnover to £250m.
A&O’s new management: turbo-charging strategy
Allen & Overy’s (A&O) new management outlined their strategy to partners last month in the 45-degree Dubai heat. But what were the hot topics on the agenda?
Edmonds Marshall McMahon: The small firm making waves in fraud disputes
Private prosecution boutique Edmonds Marshall McMahon caused a stir earlier this year after it made the biggest lateral hires in its short history.
Orrick’s global boss: Our new strategy to bring London up to scratch
Orrick’s global boss and London head talk about bringing the firm’s base in the capital up to scratch to meet the needs of global clients, Microsoft and Instagram.
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Linklaters’ new boss: I’m reviewing everything
Linklaters’ new managing partner Gideon Moore speaks out about his plans to review everything at the firm to “check that what we’re doing still makes sense”.
Is HSF laying the groundwork for a US merger?
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) launched a new plan of action on Thursday (28 April) that gave an enticing hint at its plans for expansion in the US.
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BLP legal services head: I’ll triple our size in Manchester
Manchester has become a competitive breeding ground for back office-style legal processing centres and Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) wants to be one of the city’s biggest players.
Pillsbury chair Rishwain on the firm’s Chinese “hub” strategy
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman is among a minority of international firms to have by-passed Hong Kong and entered into Greater China via an office in Shanghai. Six years after its 2006 launch in Shanghai, the firm expanded its mainland China footprint to Beijing and most recently it announced a plan to set up a base in Hong Kong.
The JLD blog: Age and PQE do not stop you reaching top roles in the profession
Laura Uberoi is a Council Member at the Law Society and, alongside Kayleigh Leonie, represents junior lawyers of 0-5 years PQE. In October Laura was elected as president of her local law society and in doing so became one of the youngest and most junior solicitor to ever hold such a role across the country. […]
MIPIM Asia: Eversheds’ head of real estate feels like an ant on Everest
I feel like a tranquillised hippo. My limbs weigh two tonnes and my brain’s too heavy for my head. It’s November and I have 3,000lb-ungulate jet lag, so I must be at MIPIM Asia. For readers who only know MIPIM Cannes, MIPIM Asia is Cannes’ more refined Hong Kongese cousin. Each year about 900 property […]
Justicetech: Where the innovation is going to happen – and where it won’t
Julia Salasky, CEO of CrowdJustice, the online crowdfunding platform for legal action, spoke at the Law Society’s Future of Law lecture. In this adapted version she shares her experience using innovative technologies to connect lawyers and clients with funds to take legal action
Access to justice: digitisation of the advice sector is the last hope
While firms are beginning to embrace the opportunities that tech can provide, the advice sector remains underfunded when it comes to digitisation.
The JLD blog: five pieces of advice for vacation schemes
A few weeks ago, I was asked by a paralegal at my firm whether or not they should apply be applying for vacation schemes or if they should go straight to the training contract applications. To be frank, it stumped me, as it’s something I’d not given much thought to since qualifying. It brought to […]
Why e-signatures should be the de facto standard for executing deals
By Richard Oliphant The market for legal services is highly competitive. The recent report by The Lawyer and Intapp (‘Navigating a new reality in the client-empowered’) revealed how law firms are investing heavily in ‘intelligent automation’ technologies and using data analytics to improve client service and stay ahead of the pack. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning […]
More borders, more fees: opportunities for lawyers after Brexit
In the wake of the Brexit vote, there is a need for some clarity on the general subject of globalisation and a law firm’s strategic positioning. First, globalisation is not a decision. It is a force and, for all intents and purposes, a force of nature. It is the movement of people, ideas, products, services, […]
Into the brave, new world: life after Brexit
After last week’s historic decision by the British people to leave the EU many will want know immediately what the implications are.
Protecting women’s data: Inside Flo’s privacy mission
Flo’s privacy pro Sue Khan talks life inside one of the world’s nine femtech unicorns, putting privacy first and paving the way for other femtechs.
Forget A&O and HSF: Meet Belfast’s other legal giant
For the past decade, firms like A&O Shearman and Herbert Smith Freehills have been reaping the rewards of Belfast’s talent pool. But it was banking giant Citi that initially set up shop in Northern Ireland, with its in-house team now having global oversight of its legal functions. Citi’s legal department this year celebrated its 17th […]
Goodnotes GC: “It’s so important to have inclusive AI”
Goodnotes’ GC Nebahat Arslan on developing AI in-house, the importance of inclusive AI, and using technology to improve peoples’ lives.
In-house interview: Moneysupermarket GC Shazadi Stinton
When asked if she enjoys working at price comparison service Moneysupermarket Group, general counsel Shazadi Stinton’s response is resoundingly upbeat: “I could tell you a list of 100 reasons why I love Moneysupermarket and they would all be true. “It’s just a really wonderful company, and it’s one of the few places where the work […]
“We want a sense of purpose”: Onebright’s Emma Levin on being a millennial GC
Becoming a general counsel before the age of 30 is a feat few lawyers can boast of. At this age, most lack the in-house experience required to lead a business’s legal team. In Emma Levin’s case, though, she has spent almost her entire career in-house, meaning that by 28 she had secured a coveted GC […]
Fulham GC Peter Limbert on transfer windows and the Premier League
Founded in 1879, Fulham is London’s oldest professional football club. In March, The Lawyer interviewed the club’s general counsel Peter Limbert from Craven Cottage, its home ground since 1896.
How to develop your people in-house with Zurich GC Katja Roth Pellanda
Since Katja Roth Pellanda joined Zurich Insurance in 2020, a lot has changed. The GC has broken down the silos in the 700-person legal function, reducing the distance between the regions and the corporate centre. Zurich Insurance is a Swiss-based insurance company that has a presence in approximately 80 countries. With such a large business, […]
A trip to Goodwood: GC preps for motorsport history
For legal head Judi Gadsby, a lunchtime walk through the Goodwood Estate, with her golden retriever in tow, is one of the many perks of her day job. The 300-year-old estate is the seat of the Duke of Richmond and comprises nearly 11,000 hectares of land in Chichester, West Sussex. As head of legal at […]
Hot 100 alumni: Ashley Katz, Fried Frank
At the start of 2016 restructuring partner Ashley Katz became the latest big-hitter to move over to Fried Frank Shriver Harris & Jacobson’s growing London base.
Hot 100 alumni: Shami Chakrabarti
Shami Chakrabarti says she was surprised that the 13 January announcement of her imminent departure from civil rights charity Liberty attracted so much attention. Sandwiched between the deaths of celebrities David Bowie and Alan Rickman, the news still made the front page of several national newspapers, notably left-leaning The Guardian and The Independent
Hot 100 alumni: Tamara Box, Reed Smith
Since appearing in The Lawyer Hot 100 two years ago Reed Smith’s Tamara Box has taken on a new role at the US firm
Hot 100 alumni: John McDonnell QC, Three Stone
John McDonnell QC was named in the Hot 100 in 2005 for his diverse practice, celebrity client roster and the launch of his new chambers, Thirteen Old Square.
Hot 100 alumni: Helen Croke, Travers Smith
Now in her 16th year at Travers Smith, Helen Croke has been key to the success of the firm’s private equity group. One of eight partners in the firm’s dedicated private equity and M&A team, Croke qualified at Travers in 2001 and moved up into partnership seven years later. The team has remained largely unchanged […]
Hot 100 alumni: Cathy Pitt, head of funds, CMS
Cathy Pitt is building CMS’ strength in the ever-changing world of funds
Hot 100 alumni: Jonathan Berger, Harbottle & Lewis
Jonathan Berger has found the ideal place to pursue his media work
Hot 100 alumni: Dan Oates, Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson
Dan Oates is helping to build Fried Frank’s London private equity team