University: City, University of London
Degree: International commercial law
Year of qualification: 2016
Position: Managing associate
Department: Commercial litigation
Pronouns: She/her

What attracted you to a career in law?

I’d always excelled in humanities at school and considered careers in politics, international relations or law. In the end, I decided that law was more appealing. Initially, I was attracted by corporate law. However, once I began practising in London, I realised that litigation suits me best.

Please can you outline your journey into law?

I began my career in-house at a major metal production company. After moving to London, I met a senior partner from a previous law firm where I had worked. He offered me a role as a paralegal on an extradition case that he dealt with at the time. I worked as a paralegal at that firm for 18 months before being promoted to legal assistant. After that, I decided to cross qualify through the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QTLS) – which allows lawyers who are qualified in other jurisdictions to qualify in the UK as a solicitor.

You can contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority to find out how the Solicitors Qualifying Exam has impacted the QLTS.

Why were you drawn to Stephenson Harwood?

I joined Stephenson Harwood LLP as a mid-level associate. I was mainly attracted to the quality of work, but also the breadth of the client base. Few law firms undertake work as fascinating as Stephenson Harwood’s in the civil fraud and asset recovery practice area, which is my specialty.

Please outline your area of expertise. What might you do in a typical day?

My work involves high-value and high-profile cases for international clients, often covered by the press. Typically, I handle civil fraud cases, which involve an underlying element of dishonesty. I frequently deal with freezing injunctions, disclosure orders and search orders, and my role is very high-paced and intense, especially at the outset of a matter. We’re often approached by clients who were defrauded of millions of pounds and require our help to recover stolen assets. My work is very international, often requiring collaboration with lawyers in other jurisdictions to develop the best legal strategy for the client.

Please discuss a current/recent specific deal/case, outlining your role in the matter.

A couple of years ago, I acted for a high-profile Russian businessman who was resisting a claim brought against him and his family members by two Russian banks. The banks were alleging that he, together with some other individuals, conspired with the former management of that bank to cause the bank to enter into uncommercial transactions for the benefit of our client. The claimants obtained a freezing injunction against our client. When we first met the client, it was just hours after he had been served with the freezing order, which blocks all your accounts and prevents access to money or dealing with assets. This can be quite a shock, so we first assisted the client with the practical steps needed to maintain a normal life and support his family. Then, we began addressing the allegations and dealing with the claim itself.

The cases I handle tend to take quite a long time to resolve and are usually multi-party. In this particular case, many defendants were involved, and some challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that England wasn’t the appropriate venue for resolving the dispute. All of this takes time, so there’s no outcome to this case yet.

How involved are you with business development and promoting the firm?

I really enjoy business development (BD), so I’m very involved. I think my team is great at supporting lawyers from junior levels up to managing associates in their BD efforts. We ensure that even our newly qualified lawyers and trainees engage in BD activities appropriate for their level. This helps them to become comfortable with it as they progress and it becomes a bigger part of their role.

I focus on BD in specific jurisdictions where I have clients and contacts. For example, we organise a series of international fraud and asset recovery conferences that happen in various jurisdictions, which is always a good way of promoting Stephenson Harwood and a fantastic opportunity to network with other professionals from different jurisdictions that also operate in this space.

What makes your firm stand out from the rest?

In terms of my specific team, we stand out for the quality of the work we do – we tend to be involved in the biggest civil fraud cases in the UK and globally. It’s not a huge team, but we all support each other and receive substantial backing from the partners. The two partners who lead our team are fantastic lawyers and great mentors. Both partners are women and my team is also predominantly women, which is unusual in the male-dominated area of civil fraud.

What skills/strengths do you need to be a successful solicitor?

Thoughtfulness, attention to detail and the ability to prioritise are all very important. It’s also crucial to be commercial. You need to be mindful of clients’ ultimate objectives and consider how your legal strategy aligns with their commercial goals.

What’s the work/life balance like at your firm? How often do you have late nights/work at weekends?

Overall, the firm is known for maintaining a good work/life balance. While we all experience periods of intense work, everyone is mindful of keeping hours manageable and providing enough support.

What’s the biggest opportunity you’ve been given since joining the firm?

A year ago, after I returned from maternity leave that the firm has supported me in setting up a new area of practice focused on  greenwashing risk. It combines expertise from various departments within the firm, both contentious and non-contentious. As a result of our efforts, we’re beginning to see some work starting to coming in. This has been a great opportunity and I'm hoping that it’ll prove a valuable investment for the firm.

The firm has an excellent programme focussed on helping female associates to progress in their career. It allows you to meet likeminded female associates from various practice areas, share your thoughts, concerns and receive support in a clear and structured way.

What’re you reading at the moment?

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie