The Lawyer

The Lawyer

“Never let anyone tell you what you are capable of achieving”

Name: Zaqia Rashid Organisation: TLT Role: Head of public inquiries and public law Based: London Year qualified: Scotland 1992; England and Wales 2007 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? My most vivid memory is working on a Fatal Accident Inquiry in Scotland which involved the suicide of a female prisoner in HMP […]

“I miss the adrenalin rush of a corporate deal”

Name: Karl Jansen Organisation: Freeths Role: National managing partner Based: Nottingham Trained at: Davies Arnold Cooper Year qualified: 1990 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Although I’m showing my age, it has to be the many hours spent at the fax machine! That apart, I really enjoyed my articles (showing my age […]

“I chose a career in law over a career in TV”

Name: Katie Chandler Organisation: Taylor Wessing Role: Partner Based: London Trained at: Taylor Wessing Year qualified: 2007 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? My first week at Taylor Wessing when I was asked to attend the trial of Conor Medsystems Inc v Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc to be a witness bowler for the […]

By far the hardest question in interview has been ‘Are you a good person?’

Name: Davinder Mann Organisation: UK Infrastructure Bank Role: General Counsel and Company Secretary Based: London Trained at: Herbert Smith Year qualified: September 2003 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Sorting out hundreds of car park leases during my real estate seat late one night only to peer out of Exchange House to […]

My most vivid pupillage memory? Prawn involved in Road Traffic Collision”

Name: Sara George Organisation: Sidley Austin Role: Partner, Head of Crisis Management for Europe Based: London Trained at: Criminal Bar – Chambers of Ann Rafferty QC 4 Brick Court Year qualified: 1999 What’s your most vivid memory from being a pupil? Representing the driver of a seafood van topped with an enormous papier mache prawn […]

“I nearly became a professional massage therapist”

Name: Gurminder Kaur Nijjar Organisation: Irwin Mitchell Role: Group Deputy General Counsel Based: Birmingham Trained at: Harvey McKibbin Solicitors Year qualified: 2011 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Attending a hearing on behalf of client for their alcohol/premises licence application. The client found the whole process confusing and was completely reliant on […]

“My hardest career question to date: “Are you happy?””

Name: Paddy Linighan Organisation: Clyde & Co Role: Chief Sustainability Officer Based: London Trained at: Robson Rhodes Chartered Accountants Year qualified: 1990, ACA, ICAEW What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? I pursued an accountancy training contract not because I wanted to be an accountant per se, but to see and experience how […]

“Being thoughtful about career decisions doesn’t mean you have to know what you want to do next”

Name: Shikha Sethi Organisation: Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Role: Director & Legal Counsel, EMEA Based: London Trained at: Allens (Sydney, Australia) Year qualified: 2012 What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee? Making my first court appearance to request a stay of proceedings. I spent the entire morning nervously rehearsing the three sentences I […]

Money group

Costs management: firms need to do better

Costs management has been in place for nearly 11 years now. Few commercial litigators have expressed much love for it but last year’s report of the Civil Justice Council’s costs working party made clear that it is not going anywhere. Headed by Lord Justice Birss, the deputy head of civil justice, it said costs budgeting […]