Name: Shantha David
Firm: UNISON Legal Services
Role: In-house lawyer
Trained at: Called to the Bar in 2004 and cross-qualified as a solicitor
Year qualified: 2005
What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee?
Running a case at the Employment Appeal Tribunal and winning it!
What is the wisest thing anyone ever said to you (and who said it)?
“Failures are the pillars of success” (my father).
Who (for better or worse) has been the most influential person in your career?
Karon Monaghan QC and Michael Ford QC
Why? They are both incredibly clever, generous with their knowledge and time, and all round fantastic people. I’ve had the privilege to be their instructing solicitor on the UNISON ET Fees case (R (oao UNISON) v the Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC) (Karon); and on Lock v British Gas [2014] ECJ and The Harpur Trust v Brazel & UNISON [2019] CA (Michael).
What advice would you give to someone who wants to get to where you are/do the job you do?
You have to want it enough, be prepared to work hard and ignore the negative noise.
What’s your best friend from law school doing now?
Practising property law.
