The Lawyer Inquiry: William Cawley

William Cawley was born in Brighton on 2 April 1961. He now lives in London and is a partner in the litigation department of Sinclair Roche & Temperley.

What was your first job?

Bread slicing at a Sunblest bakery.



What was your first ever salary as a lawyer?

£3,150 per annum.



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

A yacht builder.



Which law could you live without?

The prevalent law that so long as a profit is made a business and the people working in it are well-managed and healthy.



What was your most embarrassing professional moment?

While working in Korea and imitating the indigenous hard-suck technique of noodle eating I sprayed a variety of sauces over a potential client wearing the customary starched, white shirt.



What car do you drive?

A 10-year-old BMW 528i.



Which famous person would you like to go out with?

Herman Hesse.



Where would you go to eat?

The Udney Arms Hotel, near Aberdeen.



What's the best thing on TV?

The Simpsons.



Which movie do you wish you'd appeared in?

Sleuth (Michael Caine's role).



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

Embarrassingly, a pair of sheepskin slippers.



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

Deterring Democracy by Noam Chomsky, The Grass Harp by Truman Capote, Writing Home by Alan Bennett, TS Eliot's The Cambridge Companion.



What is your all-time favourite record?

Morrison Hotel by The Doors.



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

There will always be an abundance of nonsense associated with your job. Ignore it and enjoy practising the law.



What do you like about yourself?

My conviction that books on esoteric subjects will be fascinating after-dinner conversation.



What do you hate about yourself?

I can never remember the name of the book or author - never mind the abundant detail.



Where would you most like to be right now?

On a small and sturdy yacht port-hopping around the world.