Key clients: Shell, Mediclinic, RSA, Dentsu Aegis, Remgro, Priceline
Partner since 2015
I went into law on gut feel. A non-law student who studied history and French. When you start thinking about getting in the City and what would suit my skillset, law felt like the natural choice.
Your early experiences as a lawyer have to be good. They need to convince you that you’ve made the right choice long term. My first big deal was for the Swiss luxury goods company Richemont and South African-listed Remgro on a large cross-border transaction. I was flying to Switzerland, to Luxembourg, and to Johannesburg dealing with a huge number of people. It was after that that I convinced myself I could do this for a very long time.
Our generation of partners grew up with the bulk of our associate career in the financial crisis. That taught skills and patience when fewer big deals were being done and there were a lot of transactions that didn’t come to fruition.
‘Our generation grew up with the financial crisis. That taught skills and patience.’
Rob Innes, Slaughter and May
Young lawyers come out of law school and think they will be problem-solving, but you increasingly realise that deals are client-specific and personality-driven.
Your role on deals changes quickly as a partner. You have to allow the associates, whose position you were in just a few months ago, to have their breathing space and the ability to shine.
The recent numbers show we’re promoting. I don’t think associates now are feeling that it’s more difficult than ever to make it here.
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