Name: Matthew Merkle Organisation: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison Role: Partner and head of European capital markets Based: London Trained at: N/A (US-qualified lawyer) Year qualified: 2009 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee/pupil? As a junior associate in New York, my most vivid impression was a sense of being overwhelmed by […]
Name: Ainslie Cranwell Organisation: Volvo Group Role: Group Litigation Counsel Based: London Trained at: Dentons (formerly Fisher Jeffries – Adelaide, South Australia) Year qualified: 2010 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? I was sent on quite a few errands as a trainee. I took the view that they were nice breaks from […]
Name: Spencer Davis Organisation: Lifezone Metals Role: Group General Counsel Based: London Trained at: Lewis Silkin Year qualified: 2002 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? There are so many. Playing cricket in a square behind Fleet Street, running down to the RCJ to pay fees, microfiches and bundling at all hours, learning […]
Name: Sarah Rafi Organisation: Ardonagh Advisory Role: Deputy General Counsel Based: London Trained at: Ashurst Year qualified: 2010 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Strangely, after so many years, quite a lot of my training contract remains incredibly vivid – probably because it was a time of so many new experiences and […]
Not every lawyer aspires to make partner anymore, but for Mills & Reeve senior associate Oliver King, it is “absolutely” his intention. But, like with any promotion, he must first build and plead his business case, which he believes is rooted in Leeds’ thriving tech sector. “The tech sector in Leeds has been huge for […]
Name: Kajetan Wandowicz Organisation: 4 Pump Court Role: Barrister Location: London Trained at: 4 Pump Court Year qualified: 2018 What’s your most vivid memory from being a pupil? Being invited to join my chambers. It was a sunny morning in late June, still some three months away from the completion of pupillage, and my co-pupil […]
What does it take to be an innovation lawyer at Linklaters? With technology evolving at rapid pace, Linklaters has been appointing associates as dedicated team contacts to connect each of its three key divisions to the innovation group.
Name: Ranjit Dhindsa Organisation: Fieldfisher Role: Head of employment, pensions, immigration and compliance practice Based: Birmingham Trained at: Warren & Allen Year Qualified: 1994 What is your most vivid memory from being a trainee pupil? Leaving a bag containing client documents on a train by accident. This was before the days when such a mistake […]
Name: Geraint Davies Organisation: Howes Percival Role: Chairman Based: Leicester Trained at: Mackrell Turner Garrett, London Year Qualified: 1991 What is your most vivid memory from being a trainee? I’ll never forget an incident at one of my first trials while I was a trainee. My client, who was bringing a personal injury claim, was […]
Name: Stella Wong Organisation: Hogan Lovells Role: Partner, patent litigation Based: London Trained at: Hogan Lovells Year qualified: 2007 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Someone more senior than me came into my office, looked over his shoulder and shut the door. My first thought was that I must be in big […]
Name: David Hunter Organisation: Bates Wells Role: Senior counsel Based: London Trained at: Freshfields Year qualified: 1994 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Taking my mum into Freshfields’ offices (on Fleet St) one weekend to show her where I worked and that her years standing on Preston market selling greetings cards […]
Name: Mei Lian Organisation: Paul Hastings Role: Partner, co-chair of London office Based: London Trained at: Linklaters Year qualified: 2000 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Being called “the most stupid trainee from the London office”. It really taught me a lot about resilience, and also, looking back, I learnt that it’s […]
Name: Derek Tong Organisation: Linklaters Role: Partner Based: London Trained at: Linklaters Year qualified: 2009 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? In September 2008, I joined the Linklaters derivatives and structured products team as a third seat trainee. This was at the exact time that Lehman Brothers went into administration (in relation […]
Name: Louise Bloomfield Organisation: DAC Beachcroft Role: Partner Based: Leeds Trained at: Eversheds Year qualified: 2004 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? A vivid memory was the time I went to a turkey abattoir to take a witness statement, but the best memory of my training contract was the time I spent […]
Name: Ilan Sherr Organisation: Aiscension / DLA Piper Role: Executive Director Based: London Trained at: SJ Berwin (as it was then called) Year qualified: 2004 (when NASA landed its Spirit Rover on Mars, and the Treaty for the Constitution of Europe was signed) What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Nearly dying in […]
Name: Sally Hulston Firm: Lewis Silkin Based: Manchester Role: Partner Trained at: Eversheds Year qualified: 2003 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? I have a few that are all sort of related! I started my training contract on 10 September 2001 and the world came to an abrupt halt the following day. […]
Name: Jason Beer KC Organisation: 5 Essex Chambers Role: Head of Chambers Trained at: 5 Essex Chambers Year qualified: 1992 What’s your most vivid memory from being a pupil? It was the first two weeks of my second-six pupillage. I was sent along to take a note on behalf of the police service at a high-profile inquest for those two […]
From employment wannabe to head of energy and utilities at Burges Salmon, Phillips explains how the firm is building a national energy practice that’s fit for the transition.
Name: Russell Wells Organisation: Clifford Chance Role: Partner Based: London Trained at: Clifford Chance Year qualified: 1990 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? This would have been when I was a trainee in Hong Kong in 1990. We had been contacted by Donald Trump’s lawyers who wanted us to take action to […]
Name: Marwa Elborai Organisation: Allen & Overy Role: Partner Based: London Trained at: NY law qualified. I summered at and started my career at Shearman & Sterling Year qualified: 2006 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? I vividly remember going to Sydney from New York for a documentary diligence trip for a […]
The Hot 100 career quiz returns for another year. Check back every Tuesday and Friday for more, and see our archive here.
From projects lawyer in Australia to chair and co-head of international energy and utilities at Bird & Bird, Michael Rudd discusses the firm’s focus on the green economy and the energy transition.
With revenue of £1.9bn and profit per equity partner sat at £1.8m, it is easy to see why partnership at Linklaters is considered to be a golden ticket. So what is the likelihood of you making partner at Linklaters? On average, it makes 14 partners in the UK each year, with the past two years […]
We’ve just launched Partnerless, a new email specifically for associates. Sign up here for weekly career intelligence and market chatter. After years of waiting on the sidelines, this has been Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton’s year to start picking up the pace on lateral growth. At least since 2020, the US firm has largely stayed out of the […]
From corporate all-rounder to head of energy at Gibson Dunn, Howell explains how she ended up spearheading the firm’s London energy growth spurt.
From finance NQ to global head of energy and resources at Clifford Chance, Wells spills the beans on the firm’s journey, dramatic deals, and the future of the energy landscape.
Regulatory partner Robert Jappie explains how he carved out a practice in the medical cannabis and CBD sector and how Fieldfisher is capitalising on his success.
Angeli Arora moved to South Africa and started an Africa-focused PE practice from scratch with no contacts or experience in the market.
Name: Hannah Crawford Organisation: Kirkland & Ellis Role: Partner Location: London Trained at: Sidley Austin Year qualified: 2015 Read her Hot 100 profile What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? The feeling of starting from a position of no knowledge of a topic to working the answers and solutions out through analysis and discussion – a skill that set […]
Cripps’ new leader sets sights on further growth Tunbridge Wells: Gavin Tyler stepped down as managing partner of Cripps at the end of April after a long career at the firm. His leaving dinner was apparently a highly emotional occasion, not least in gratitude for the sense of calm and stability he brought during the […]
Liverpool headquartered Weightmans has enjoyed a comfortable few years, which has seen it keep hold of its position of as one of the UK’s top 50 firms by revenue.
Paul Jenkins was a bold choice for managing partner, and now he’s running the firm during one of the most turbulent periods in its history. 15 July: Ashurst partners: ‘We can turn things around’ 26 July: Ashurst CFO quits
The story of the re-entry of the Big Four accountancy firms into legal services has occupied many minds in the last year or so. But in the UK, there is one notable absence – Deloitte. While its rivals EY, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers have all been busy hiring senior lawyers from top private practice firms Deloitte has stayed away from the UK market.
Last November Irwin Mitchell announced that it was acquiring southeast firm Thomas Eggar. The deal gave the northern-focused Irwin Mitchell an additional six offices in the south of England and has boosted the firm’s turnover to £250m.
Allen & Overy’s (A&O) new management outlined their strategy to partners last month in the 45-degree Dubai heat. But what were the hot topics on the agenda?
Private prosecution boutique Edmonds Marshall McMahon caused a stir earlier this year after it made the biggest lateral hires in its short history.
Orrick’s global boss and London head talk about bringing the firm’s base in the capital up to scratch to meet the needs of global clients, Microsoft and Instagram.
Linklaters’ new managing partner Gideon Moore speaks out about his plans to review everything at the firm to “check that what we’re doing still makes sense”.
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) launched a new plan of action on Thursday (28 April) that gave an enticing hint at its plans for expansion in the US.
Manchester has become a competitive breeding ground for back office-style legal processing centres and Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) wants to be one of the city’s biggest players.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman is among a minority of international firms to have by-passed Hong Kong and entered into Greater China via an office in Shanghai. Six years after its 2006 launch in Shanghai, the firm expanded its mainland China footprint to Beijing and most recently it announced a plan to set up a base in Hong Kong.
Laura Uberoi is a Council Member at the Law Society and, alongside Kayleigh Leonie, represents junior lawyers of 0-5 years PQE. In October Laura was elected as president of her local law society and in doing so became one of the youngest and most junior solicitor to ever hold such a role across the country. […]
I feel like a tranquillised hippo. My limbs weigh two tonnes and my brain’s too heavy for my head. It’s November and I have 3,000lb-ungulate jet lag, so I must be at MIPIM Asia. For readers who only know MIPIM Cannes, MIPIM Asia is Cannes’ more refined Hong Kongese cousin. Each year about 900 property […]
Julia Salasky, CEO of CrowdJustice, the online crowdfunding platform for legal action, spoke at the Law Society’s Future of Law lecture. In this adapted version she shares her experience using innovative technologies to connect lawyers and clients with funds to take legal action
While firms are beginning to embrace the opportunities that tech can provide, the advice sector remains underfunded when it comes to digitisation.
A few weeks ago, I was asked by a paralegal at my firm whether or not they should apply be applying for vacation schemes or if they should go straight to the training contract applications. To be frank, it stumped me, as it’s something I’d not given much thought to since qualifying. It brought to […]
By Richard Oliphant The market for legal services is highly competitive. The recent report by The Lawyer and Intapp (‘Navigating a new reality in the client-empowered’) revealed how law firms are investing heavily in ‘intelligent automation’ technologies and using data analytics to improve client service and stay ahead of the pack. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning […]
In the wake of the Brexit vote, there is a need for some clarity on the general subject of globalisation and a law firm’s strategic positioning. First, globalisation is not a decision. It is a force and, for all intents and purposes, a force of nature. It is the movement of people, ideas, products, services, […]
After last week’s historic decision by the British people to leave the EU many will want know immediately what the implications are.
For legal head Judi Gadsby, a lunchtime walk through the Goodwood Estate, with her golden retriever in tow, is one of the many perks of her day job. The 300-year-old estate is the seat of the Duke of Richmond and comprises nearly 11,000 hectares of land in Chichester, West Sussex. As head of legal at […]
“Everyone is a music lover at PPL,” says Camilla Waite, general counsel of the music licensing company. Waite keeps her interests broad: her pre-lawyer days were spent running middle distance for the junior GB team. She details the galvanising process of training for Team GB, likening the bonds created to that of a training contract. Now, […]
Catie Sheret, general counsel at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, admits that she was hesitant to take on a GC role. Having switched from Linklaters to Charles Russell at 2 years’ PQE to get more commercial work and exposure to clients, she became aware of a buzz around in-house IP roles. Her interest drew her […]
Rather than by design, Associated British Foods’ Claire Eldridge found herself in legal operations by default. Though she studied a law degree, Eldridge never had a view of practising herself. Instead, she went down a completely different career path, graduating into the army for four years in Joint Services Intelligence. It was there she ran […]
Five train operators, five heads of legal: how this all-female team manages the legal functions for the likes of LNER, Northern and Southeastern railways.
For Kelly Young, incumbent general counsel and company secretary at Marie Curie, the charity feels more like a corporation than any other entity. Marie Curie is the largest funder of palliative care in the country, and its business lines include 160 shops, 450 doctors, clinical services and licensing intellectual property from garden supplies to stationery. […]
Longtime in-houser Mel Rowlands had a knock-out year in 2023, making a juxtaposing career change last July. The former group general counsel of Smiths Group, a 170-year-old diversified industrial conglomerate with 20,000 employees, made the move to 15-years young Sonnedix, a renewable energy producer. Rowlands couldn’t have joined the sustainable power sector at a better […]
Fighting referendums and interfacing with nearly 300 cities is all in a day’s work for Sarah Binder. Relocating from London to San Francisco, she joined the legal team at micromobility company Lime in May 2021, which now comprises 20 lawyers and eight paralegals. Since then, Binder has celebrated some major wins. She led Lime in […]
At the start of 2016 restructuring partner Ashley Katz became the latest big-hitter to move over to Fried Frank Shriver Harris & Jacobson’s growing London base.
Shami Chakrabarti says she was surprised that the 13 January announcement of her imminent departure from civil rights charity Liberty attracted so much attention. Sandwiched between the deaths of celebrities David Bowie and Alan Rickman, the news still made the front page of several national newspapers, notably left-leaning The Guardian and The Independent
Since appearing in The Lawyer Hot 100 two years ago Reed Smith’s Tamara Box has taken on a new role at the US firm
John McDonnell QC was named in the Hot 100 in 2005 for his diverse practice, celebrity client roster and the launch of his new chambers, Thirteen Old Square.
Now in her 16th year at Travers Smith, Helen Croke has been key to the success of the firm’s private equity group. One of eight partners in the firm’s dedicated private equity and M&A team, Croke qualified at Travers in 2001 and moved up into partnership seven years later. The team has remained largely unchanged […]
Cathy Pitt is building CMS’ strength in the ever-changing world of funds
Jonathan Berger has found the ideal place to pursue his media work
Dan Oates is helping to build Fried Frank’s London private equity team
Mona Arshi is a prize-winning poet and former human rights lawyer. She recently won the Forward prize for best first collection. You began your training contract at JR Jones in the same week that Doreen and Neville Lawrence instructed the firm on the murder of their son Stephen. How did that time influence the rest […]
Hays general counsel for UK and Ireland Evelyn Styles tells The Lawyer why she chose a role in-house over private practice. Did you start your career in-house? I trained at a small high street practice and it gave me first hand experience of dealing with all aspects of legal maters, such as contract and commercial […]
Travis Perkins general counsel Deborah Grimason grew up around business – though she’d be the first to admit that her father’s bakery delivery business in rural Northern Ireland was a far cry from the FTSE 100 company she now guides through legal minefields. Grimason knew two things growing up: that she wanted to enter a profession […]
Natalie Sherborn left the criminal bar and is now a senior associate at defamation and reputation management firm Schillings. She tells us about how and why she made the move. What’s your background? I went to a state comprehensive school in Essex. I don’t know if anyone in our family even knew what a barrister was, […]
Maclay Murray & Spens partner Jill Reid entered private practice after 25 years in-house with Chevron UK, Shell and Dana Petroleum. Why did you make the move into private practice? I feel that my role [at Dana] as General Counsel and Company Secretary in an oil and gas operating company having assets in multiple jurisdictions with […]
Travers Smith’s David Patient gives his advice for those moving into a management role. Was moving into a management position always a career objective for you? It has certainly not always been a career objective for me, but something that evolved over time. I had the good fortune to have the opportunity to open our […]