Jeremy Hoyland heads Simmons' much-touted financial markets practice. He also likes Parmesan and Sheffield United

Why did you become a lawyer?

To be honest, I rather fell into law. I knew I did not want to study any of my A-level subjects at degree level and thought law would keep my options open. I then did a summer placement at Simmons & Simmons and things went from there.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career?

There are lots, but two people stand out. Charles Goodall was the partner I worked most with throughout my time as an associate. He was a tremendous mentor and a very high-quality lawyer who retired a couple of years ago. The other is David Dickinson, now our senior partner, who is the person most responsible for the establishment of Simmons' finance practice. David is fantastic at building teams and had the vision to see what the practice could deliver.

What's your proudest professional moment?

A couple of years ago, when I was offered the chance to head up Simmons' finance practice.

…and worst day on the job?

There have been plenty of difficult days. The one that sticks in my mind though is my first Christmas Eve at the firm, when, as a first-seat trainee, I arrived in the office to find the person I was assisting on a £100m-plus financing had decided to take the day off and leave me to close the deal that day. It was a thoroughly terrifying experience and it is fair to say I was pretty happy to have the next few days off!

Aside from your own firm, which lawyer do you most admire and why?

I did a number of securitisations some years ago on the other side of Chris Smith at Slaughters and I was hugely impressed. You could not fault his work ethic.

What's your worst trait?

Impatience.

How do you think assistants in your team view you?

I suspect I am the worst person to answer this. I have asked a few but they refuse to tell me.

What advice would you give to young commercial lawyers starting out?

Be enthusiastic, committed and keen. Take responsibility for your part of the transaction and do the easy things well.

What's the best part of your job?

Mentoring high-quality professionals and developing client relationships.

What most annoys you about the legal profession?

Lawyers who waste everyone's time and money by arguing points with no commercial purpose in an attempt
to impress.

What is your stronger card: technical whizz or client man?

Having now worked in this area for many years I would like to think that I have a decent grasp technically, but I enjoy dealing with people – so I guess of the two I would have to go for client man.

What will be the most significant market trend in terms of your practice area over the next 12 months?

The development of the European financial markets and seeing whether they can really challenge the domimance of the US market.

What's the worst bit of finance jargon you've ever heard and did you smirk?

My personal favourites are not finance jargon but marketing speak – 'value propositions', 'KPIs' (key performance indicators), 'SLAs' (service level agreements) and 'BSCs' (balanced score cards).

Is Simmons still cuddly?

Less cuddly than it was, which I think is a good thing. I also think that our culture remains very supportive, more so I suspect than in many other places.

What is the most common misconception trainees have about Simmons before they arrive at the firm?

Many, if not most, trainees have done placements with the firm before they arrive so I think their eyes have been opened somewhat. Occasionally, though, I still think some of them are surprised at the commercial aspects of working in a large international law firm.

What would you do if you weren't a lawyer?

Midfield general for Sheffield United – in my dreams!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?

At Simmons, hopefully!

What is your favourite lawyer joke?

A client goes to see his lawyer with a chicken under his arm. "I want to introduce you to my pig," he says. "That's not a pig, that's a chicken" replies the lawyer. "I was speaking to the chicken," says the client.

What's your favourite cheese?

Parmesan – hard but adaptable.

Dealmaker returns in two weeks.