“I was one of those trainees who left a bag of client documents on a train”

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 would have qualified as a potentially career-ending data breach, but it was still a horrible feeling given the importance of client confidentiality, and how seriously I took this obligation. I spent a whole morning in a very distressed state trying to recover the bag.  Needless to say, this taught me an important lesson about diligence!

Tell us about a sliding doors moment, when you career could have gone in an entirely different direction?

I have been asked a couple of times whether I am interested in working in-house for businesses in the private sector. As an employment lawyer, there are lots of opportunities to work in-house with some fantastic organisations. I have often wondered if I had done that, whether I would have developed a career beyond law, perhaps in business, which a lot of GCs have gone on to do. I’m sure it would have been a fascinating path to take, but fortunately the one I stayed on has been very scenic and hugely rewarding to follow.

What is the hardest question you have ever been asked at interview and how did you answer?

The hardest question I find to answer is “Where will you win new work from in the next 12 months?” I get asked this all the time, from senior colleagues looking at growth plans and clients and journalists who are looking for the next big trend in employment law. The fact is that while you can see opportunities arising from tabled regulatory changes, often you don’t know what is going to blow up next. Few of us could have predicted the rapid rise of ChatGPT, or the huge debates around gender identity issues or the continuous changes to Immigration law. So whenever I get asked this, I offer some regulatory guidelines but tell them if they come back in a year they’ll be surprised at what I’m doing.

What advice would you give someone who wants to get to where you are/do the job you do?

Be the best lawyer you can be, get things done, do not burn bridges and be resilient especially when things do not go your way. If you are a good lawyer with strong relationships, you’ll keep moving onwards and upwards.

Tell us about one former colleague who you miss and why?

I miss a member of my team, who sadly passed away in the pandemic. He started his career reading history at university, worked in media, before becoming a lawyer. He was an excellent lawyer and colleague. His passing was sudden and a shock.