Mayer Brown's finance chief says he's the annoying optimist at the office – and he wears mustard cords

Why did you become a lawyer? Two more years as a student and a move to London was an attractive prospect. My grandfather was a solicitor in South Wales who dreamt of moving his practice to London – the pull of the City runs in the blood.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career? I have had two inspiring mentors at different times in my career: Graham Wedlake was my supervisor and mentored me at the beginning of my career – we were reunited recently when he joined Mayer Brown; and Maurice Allen taught me that the only definition of a 'difficult client' is one who doesn't pay the bill.

What's your proudest professional moment? When I first stood up in court – it was only at an interlocutory hearing during my litigation seat, but exciting all the same.

…and worst day on the job? I've fortunately forgotten most of the bad days.

Aside from your own firm, which lawyer do you most admire and why? Michael Goldman, head of Cravath Swaine & Moore's banking group – an excellent technical and commercially-minded lawyer who gets stuck in.

What's your strongest characteristic… and worst trait? I am the eternal optimist; it's my best and worst trait.

What advice would you give to young deal lawyers starting out? Give it a really good go but if it doesn't work, get out early.

What's the best part of your job? The people I work with.

What's the toughest ethical/moral dilemma your job has ever presented you with? Whether to answer these questions.

What most annoys you about the legal profession? Boring lawyers.

What's your strongest card – technical wizardry or smooth client skills (you can only pick one)? Technical wizardry. (Delivered in a smooth and skilful manner!)

What's the worst corporate event you've ever attended? A retreat in Bournemouth many years ago. It rained a lot and we were required to undertake mindless team bonding activities.

Most memorable deal you have ever worked on and why? A 17-jurisdiction asset-based lending for a major international fashion retailer. It was a large cross-border deal with complex security issues and a short deadline. Also, we have been involved recently in the structuring and execution of major corporate financings which merge leveraged, structured finance and asset-based lending techniques.

What is the daftest bit of corporate jargon you've heard (and did you smirk)? There are a plethora of terms used in the corporate/legal world that mean very little. An example is 'going forward' – try removing it from the sentence or saying 'in future', if that's what you mean.

What will be the most significant market trend in terms of your practice area over the next 12 months? A continued rise in the use of hybrid finance products in banking transactions as bank teams merge and migrate. In addition, as it becomes increasingly difficult to identify true market trends (while we experience continued market turmoil) there will be an even greater emphasis on obtaining advice from lawyers capable of providing bespoke legal advice.

Do you see yourself having a career outside law? I ran a garden landscaping business in my year before university.

What's your favourite item of clothing? A very fashionable (and old) pair of mustard cords.

What's your favourite cheese? Caerphilly – from the land of my fathers.

Visit Legal Week's Dealmaker archive to read more profiles.