The Lawyer
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 […]
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 […]
Entering the world of law as a junior lawyer can be a thrilling and challenging experience for us. However, it often comes with its own set of pressures and uncertainties that can trigger feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. This phenomenon is commonly known as “Impostor Syndrome,” and it affects many professionals, including those in the […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Costs management has been in place for nearly 11 years now. Few commercial litigators have expressed much love for it but last year’s report of the Civil Justice Council’s costs working party made clear that it is not going anywhere. Headed by Lord Justice Birss, the deputy head of civil justice, it said costs budgeting […]
As lawyers prepare to take the hot seat over the coming months, The Lawyer’s blog will give live updates as they appear in the Post Office Horizon Inquiry.
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 […]
The legal landscape in England and Wales is rapidly transforming with the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). This shift in the qualification process for legal professionals is reshaping the traditional route to becoming a solicitor, and by 2032, all existing routes will be officially phased out, making it the sole option for aspiring […]
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 […]