The Lawyer Inquiry: Charles Hattersley

Charles Hattersley was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, in 1949. He is a partner and head of the marine department at Foot & Bowden in Plymouth.



What was your first job?

Lumberjack.



What was your first ever salary as a lawyer?

£6,000 per annum.



What would you have done if you hadn’t become a lawyer?

Chief forester, British Columbia, Canada.



Which law could you live without?

Treason legislation.



What was your most embarrassing professional moment?

Leaving papers on a train when alighting to buy a newspaper, then being fined for jumping onto a moving train.



What car do you drive?

A Ford Galaxy.



Which famous person would you like to go out with?

The Dalai Lama.



Where would you go to eat?

Naval & Military Club, Piccadilly, London.



What’s the best thing on TV?

International rugby.



Which movie do you wish you’d appeared in?

The Sting.



What’s your most often-worn piece of clothing?

Socks.



What book(s) are you reading at the moment?

Summer’s Lease by John Mortimer; Alpine Club Journal 97.



What is your all-time favourite record?

Born in the USA - Bruce Springstein, followed by Battle of New Orleans - Lonnie Donnigan.



What piece of advice would you give to anyone entering the profession now?

Get computer literate and a golf handicap before you join; you won’t have time otherwise.



What do you like about yourself?

Ability to sleep anywhere.



What do you hate about yourself?

Ability to work anywhere.



Where would you most like to be right now?

At K2 base camp in the Himalayas having just been to the top.