Why did you want to become a lawyer and what drew you to the financial services regulatory side?
As much as the law itself, it was the draw of international work that led me to the City and to Herbert Smith, as it was then. I had read languages at university and was excited about the prospect of working on high-profile international matters.
Continue reading “Banking and Finance perspectives: Jenny Stainsby”
I actually started practising law in California, way back in the dark ages. I moved over here for two years, and I’ve been here ever since. I never really intended to be a lawyer in London at all. My lifetime ambition was to be a criminal lawyer in Baltimore. My early career could be characterised as wanting to work at a big law firm in a big city before I would go back to a smaller city and a very different law practice. As you can see, all that planning never really turned out. I haven’t touched a criminal case in a very long time. Continue reading “Banking and Finance perspectives: Chris Kandel”
The 1990s felt like the Golden Age of employment law – employment protections were expanding rapidly (thanks to Europe), opportunities for pushing the boundaries and progressing in employment law seemed limitless; even the Prime Minister and his wife were employment lawyers. All of life was in employment law – power imbalances, relationship struggles, societal prejudices and biases, human ambition, vulnerability and frailties, and so much more. It was the most exciting area of law to go into at that time (and probably still is now), and everyone wanted to be an employment lawyer. I was lucky enough to have great mentors and sponsors who supported my progress and gave me international work that I loved, fantastic opportunities to learn, and, in time, the potential to travel. Employment law opened doors for me that I never expected and which, to this day, I genuinely appreciate. Continue reading “Perspectives: Clare Murray, CM Murray”
‘Have I told you my friend’s story about being a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz in Aberdeen in the 1980s? Phone me when you are bored.’ Such messages – as apparently apropos of nothing as they were impossible to ignore – were not uncommon from Professor Paul Quayle Watchman, former Freshfields partner and ESG guru who sadly passed away at the start of July.
Paul’s more irreverent missives were often intermingled with ‘serious’ work-related emails about ESG initiatives, the climate crisis and other subjects which were close to his heart. Another of the best reads: ‘I’m having a few days away at a spa hotel. I can’t loosen the knots. Help me Nathalie. Send scissors to Room 125. Better make it bolt-cutters.’ Paul always used good humour as an antidote to the more depressing side of modern life and for that, he earned a tremendous following, both professionally and personally. Continue reading “‘The raconteur’s raconteur par excellence’: Industry mourns loss of ESG luminary Paul Watchman”
Why did you decide to become a lawyer and – why tax?
I studied physics at university because I thought I was brilliant at maths. Then I hit the wall of my maths ability about two weeks into the degree so I decided I wanted to be a crusading criminal barrister. I then made the mistake of doing a mini-pupillage and, seeing how the criminal law impacts people’s lives, decided it wasn’t for me. Complete respect to people who can do that, but I can’t. Continue reading “Tax perspectives: Dan Neidle”
I never thought I would be a lawyer. I’m from Amsterdam, and I did a student traineeship in 1991, which was quite a common thing for Dutch law students back then. It’s like a summer internship at a law firm. I was blown away by Clifford Chance – the dynamism, the people, the quality of the work. I just loved it. I was given the chance to apply for a job to start the year after and I got it. That was quite unusual in those days because the job market wasn’t easy.
If you’d asked me at the age of 23 or 24, I would have said I wanted to go into international relations or business. Before I studied law, I was thinking of going to a university in the US which was strong on international relations, then go and work at an international organisation. My fascination with international relations very much came into force in my former role as senior partner and now as leader of our global ESG board. Continue reading “Life During Law: Jeroen Ouwehand”
Why did you want to be a deals lawyer and has it delivered what you expected?
I like to be at the hub of things, not on the periphery. I’m not the kind of lawyer who just likes to write things up – I prefer dynamic situations. I love the energy involved in transactions and the work has really suited me. The deals we do are transformational, so we end up meeting the most senior and talented people in companies. It’s a great privilege to be able to shape their deals. Continue reading “Deals perspectives: Andy Ryde”
I certainly didn’t have a burning desire to be a lawyer from the age of five years old. I definitely wasn’t one of those! I wanted to be an architect but you’ve got to be quite good at maths. I wasn’t.
My parents instilled in me a real work ethic from a young age and forced me to do lots of summer jobs where I learned the value of money. The worst one was probably working at Saxby’s pork pie factory. I was in charge of the jelly gun. Thousands of pork pies would come down a long conveyor belt and I had to put my gun in them and fill them with jelly. That was a challenging job to stay motivated in for sure. That probably put me off pork pies for life. Continue reading “Life During Law: Paul Dolman”
Oddly, I decided I wanted to become a barrister when I was ten years old. I’m not sure I entirely knew what a barrister was. There are no lawyers in my family, and in fact I was the first person from my family to go to university. Continue reading “Disputes perspectives: James Maurici KC”
I didn’t study law at university. I studied history at Oxford. A huge love. I’ve loved debating since a young age. My mother would despair of my father and me, telling us to stop arguing. We’d say: ‘It’s not arguing! It’s a healthy discussion!’ Continue reading “Disputes perspectives: Penny Madden KC”
