Work Life Quiz: Andrew Pena, Cubism Law
What was your first-ever job? Working as an auxiliary nurse in a mental hospital.
Andrew Pena
What was your worst experience as a trainee?
Going to a court hearing that I was told was uncontested to be met by a QC with a team of 10 other lawyers.
Where’s the best place to go if you want to find out what’s really going on in the office?
The pub.
What time do you usually leave the office?
6pm.
What do you do at weekends?
Coach a youth football team. Spend quality time with my wife and children.
What’s your favourite restaurant?
Chimichanga in North London.
If you weren’t a lawyer what would you have been?
A teacher.
What’s your favourite film?
Gone with the Wind.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Fernando by Abba.
Who’s your hero and why?
The Dalai Lama. His awareness and ethics.
What’s the best thing about your job?
Making decisions
What’s the toughest thing about your job?
Making decisions.
What’s your biggest work/career mistake and what did you learn from it?
Working for too long as an employee before setting up my own business. It’s Important to be self-employed and the master of your own destiny.
What car do you drive?
BMW X3 .
What book are you currently reading?
The I-Ching or Book of Changes.
What’s your favourite children’s book?
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.
What’s the most exciting deal/case you’ve worked on and why?
Representing a major film studio in a dispute with a well-known actress.
If you were stranded on a desert island what two luxury items would you take?
Pen and paper.
What’s the worst partner conference location you’ve attended and why?
There were none that were noteworthy.
What’s the longest you’ve worked without sleep?
20 hours.
If a movie was being made about your life, which actor would play you and why?
Kevin Spacey. Why not?
Who would you least like to be stuck in a lift with and why?
Manuel Uribe. Allegedly, at 560kg, the fattest man on the planet.
Tell us two truths and one lie about yourself (in any order)
I once fell off a stage while trying to impress a young lady with my break dancing; I am a distant relative of Fidel Castro; I have Celtic origins.
CV
Name: Andrew Pena
Firm: Cubism Law
Lives: Highgate, London
Education:
1985-88: LLB Hons, Bristol University
1989-90: College of Law, Guildford
Work history:
1990-92: Trainee, Allison & Humphreys
1992-98: Solicitor, Allison & Humphreys
1999-2001: Solicitor, Field Fisher Waterhouse
2002-03: Partner, Field Fisher Waterhouse
2004-05: General counsel, Jani-King (GB)
2006-present: Managing director, Cubism Law
