I was in the first ever gender-mixed year at my college in 1976. I got on very well with one particular girl and she was reading law and I developed an interest. I applied to Freshfields, Linklaters, Allen & Overy, Lovell, White & King and Simmons & Simmons. I got five interviews and five offers in 1982 and chose Freshfields. In those days it was a lot easier to get a job.
Regrets? I would have loved to have gone off and done more mountain climbing, but that would have been very selfish as I had a family. Sport has always been a stress buster – I used to work closely with Anthony Salz, when he was co-senior partner at Freshfields, and I used to drive him mad because I’d hit the gym for an hour right in the middle of a deal, but it really helped to refresh me. But there was a tension between being a sportsman and a serious lawyer. But from early on, I wanted to be the best M&A lawyer. My three boys – Max, Tim and Nicky – are all sportsmen and it drives my wife mad as it is one hell of a competitive place at home.
I love doing deals and transactions. I love spending time with clients and understanding their businesses. I have been called for some amazing deals. From being phoned up by BP during the Gulf of Mexico crisis, to defending Manchester United from the Glazers to being part of the Red Knights trying to buy Manchester United – I’ve been so lucky.
Freshfields is in a fantastic place. We haven’t needed to do any big restructuring over previous years, we have been consistent. But there are challenges.
We had a record year in London last year in a terrible market. 40% of our London business had nothing to do with London, other than in some cases with the English law. Work was being done in South America, Eastern Europe or Africa, places where we don’t have offices. That’s the great thing about English law, it is very portable.
I don’t do being ill. It’s my Northern upbringing. You don’t take time off, you work. The worst time to come into work is when the office is quiet and the clients don’t need you. That is only nice for two weeks, then I start feeling like I’ve lost my touch and that nobody loves me anymore. There is a constant need to prove yourself. People may say: ‘Why is Rawlinson still on the roster? Do we really need him? He only has a few seasons left.’ I still get a big kick out of bringing new clients in. I did one last week.
‘I start feeling like I’ve lost my touch and that nobody loves me anymore. There is a constant need to prove yourself.’
When I was an articled clerk I made a mistake and went and saw the partner in charge and said: ‘I’m sorry sir, but I’ve mucked up this capital duty scheme.’ And he said: ‘Well done for coming to see me because now you have told me this we can sort it out together.’ Fast-forward 20 years and I’m a partner and someone comes in with a mess and a half, and part of me wants to go ballistic and I remember what happened and say: ‘Thanks for coming to see me, let’s sort it out together.’
It was a high moment being phoned by Rupert Bondy at BP. I was on holiday in Ireland at the time and he said: ‘Our share price has fallen 30% today, we are now a target. It might seem an odd time to change lawyers but I would like you on my side of the table. Are you up for it?’ I said: ‘Yes, of course.’ He said: ‘I know you’re on holiday, but is there any way you could fly back for a meeting tomorrow?’ And I said, rather uncoolly: ‘Rupert, for this one, I would swim back.’
I don’t have too many low spots. I am a positive person. As a young partner I was summoned to what was then County NatWest to be told by the client that he didn’t think I was doing a good job. I then spent a good ten minutes justifying why I had done a good job. And he said: ‘You’re not listening’ and then repeated himself. I understood then that I had to change his perception. I failed to communicate and connect with a client and that was one of the ones that hurt because I thought I was good. It was an interesting lesson.
I have a life outside Freshfields. The way I rationalise it is in life you can do one and a half things well where one is perfection. For the majority of my working life I have given Freshfields three-quarters and my family three-quarters. I haven’t been the perfect partner, or the perfect husband or dad, but I have been pretty good at both. You have times when something like a BP deal breaks out and the client gets one, but equally if there are times when someone in my family is unwell, the firm will have to just cope with getting a half.
Priority for me is family, firm and then me. I’m boring; I’m still on my first wife and my first job. 29 years at Freshfields and 27 years of marriage. You have all these changes in your life, and you just go with it.
Steve [Cooke at Slaughter and May] and I are very good mates, we have lunch together and go out with our other halves. His wife is called Bongo. Nigel [Boardman] has always been quite a few years ahead of me and was always held out as being one of the star M&A lawyers. And I set myself a personal goal of becoming one of the star M&A lawyers before I retire, and now I am in his category. He has always been a rival and he is a very good lawyer, and it’s been brilliant having him on the other side, but he’s half a generation away from me. Richard [Godden at Linklaters] has a different style to me.
I still really enjoy what I do and people ask me how much longer I’m going to go on. While I’m still enjoying it, and the firm still wants me, I will keep doing it. I have been told that I do it for the love; I’m still fit and can work the hours and I still bring in new clients. I want to go trekking in Bhutan. I love watching cricket – I would like to watch a series in Australia at some point.
Career wisdom? Treat everyone as you yourself want to be treated.
Mark Rawlinson is a corporate partner and London managing partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer