Tell us about a typical day in your current role?
I spend a large chunk of my day in back-to-back meetings (normally via video) with various stakeholders. I am involved in numerous projects and get to interact with people from all over the business, at differing levels of seniority. When I'm not in meetings, I'll be writing advice or reviewing documents - often slides (I've discovered that everyone loves a slide deck). In meetings it often feels as though I'm giving legal advice fifty percent of the time, the remaining time I'm providing a common sense view and navigating myriad commercial and people challenges. My day is always busy - my Apple watch constantly buzzes to remind me that I have been sitting down for too long - but I never get bored and there's always something interesting to get my teeth into. My day no longer involves time recording, which I am constantly grateful for!
What has been the proudest moment in your career so far?
Playing a pivotal part in a large scale project, where I was able to influence the direction and approach that was taken. Quite often, lawyers can be (wrongly) seen as blockers or part of a tick box exercise. It was rewarding to receive the recognition that the employment advice was fundamental to the success of that project. Also, passing my probationary period at the Partnership and getting my discount card was a pretty memorable day!
If you could offer one piece of advice to your 21-year old self, what would it be?
Go into Finance where the bonuses are much better... On a more serious note, I would say that you can't go far wrong if you follow the mantra ‘work hard, play hard’. Also, try not to 'sweat the small stuff' and embrace new opportunities, even if it means stepping outside of your comfort zone. Sometimes, those opportunities will turn out to be the most rewarding.
In what ways did your time at Burges Salmon influence your career?
My career at Burges Salmon instilled in me the importance of providing commercial advice, building strong client relationships, being approachable and generally enjoying what you do. It was also the opportunity to go on secondments, which allowed me to sample in-house work and open up the possibility of a change of direction in my career. This has stood me in great stead for my role at the Partnership and I found the leap from private practice to in-house a relatively easy one.
Who has particularly inspired you or helped you get to where you are today?
I was fortunate to spend time shadowing a family friend when I was at college and that cemented my decision to pursue a career in law. He is now a Court of Appeal Judge and has imparted lots of wise advice along the way. I must also mention Roger Bull. He gave an excellent and inspiring talk when I was at University and I remember phoning my mum straight afterwards and saying, "I've decided I want to work for a firm called Burges Salmon". The rest, as they say, is history.
If you had not followed a career in law, what would you like to have done instead?
My grandfather was a doctor and I toyed with the idea of medicine at one stage. However, I think I might have been disappointed when I discovered that being a doctor was nothing like it is in Grey's Anatomy. In all honesty, I can say that I have never regretted the path that I did end up taking, and have made some lifelong friends at Burges Salmon along the way.
Is there a particular alumnus you would like to hear from? Let our team know at Alumni@burges-salmon.com.