Profile

I joined Lovells in April 2003 as a partner in the corporate finance group in London. Prior to that, I had worked for two and half years as a lawyer in the investment banking division of a large US bank in London. I was part of a team which worked principally on the execution of cross-border equity capital markets transactions. I originally trained and spent a number of years post qualification with another international law firm in London and Frankfurt.

I had decided that I wanted to use my in-house experience and move back in to private practice. I joined Lovells with a view to working with a team to develop further the equity capital markets practice internationally and also to expand the base of clients for whom we undertake this sort of work. It was vital to me that the firm I joined had a clear strategic vision, a very strong international presence and a leading reputation. Lovells offered all this but, as important, I felt that the partners whom I met in the recruitment process were people with whom I would enjoy working.

My work is a mixture of equity capital markets work (acting for both banks and companies) and mergers and acquisitions. It is highly international and offers plenty of opportunities for international travel to places as diverse as Iceland and Israel. I advise on transactions involving companies in a wide variety of sectors, ranging from pharmaceuticals to textile manufacturing.

The edge that Lovells has over other firms is most visible in the sheer breadth of the practice - both geographically and in terms of the different practice areas. Whereas in other international firms teams may be characterised as support teams for finance or corporate, they operate differently at Lovells. They have their own stable of clients and work with them day in, day out. This gives them a genuine advantage in understanding the issues which face clients in particular industries. This translates into more efficient, knowledgeable teams on corporate finance transactions.

For trainees, Lovells offers an unrivalled opportunity to work in a leading international law firm, undertake work of the highest quality and benefit from an unparalleled breadth of practice - meaning that there is little chance of being pigeon-holed early on in your career. Plus, the atmosphere of the firm marks it out - Lovells has an unstuffy, supportive culture with a real emphasis on working as part of a team.