CC's co-head of European ECM on sweating it out at the office and the world's worst closing dinner

Why did you become a lawyer? I had a propensity from an early age to argue about almost anything, according to my mother. She suggested I might as well try to get someone to pay me for it.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career? David Dunnigan – the current global head of capital markets at Clifford Chance (CC).

What's your proudest professional moment? Being appointed as chairman of the board of trustees at Barnet Law Services, a pro bono law centre in North London. It's under-funded, over stretched but still making a real difference every day.

…and worst day on the job? Every day that I worked on a deal involving a large US corporate in the mid-90s – sadly the company in question is no longer with us. This is closely followed by the time I was served an entire boiled sheep's head (including horns) at a closing dinner in Kazakhstan.

Aside from your own firm, which lawyer do you most admire and why? Nick Eastwell – formerly global head of capital markets at Linklaters. He has drive, determination, boundless energy and had a willingness to do deals in jurisdictions where no capital markets lawyer had ventured before.

Most memorable deal you ever have worked on and why? My first deal as a trainee working on the privatisation of National Power in the early 1990s – it was a steep learning curve but a perfect introduction to life at a City law firm.

What's your strongest characteristic… and worst trait? My strongest characteristic is being willing to see issues from both sides of the table and get the job done. My worst trait – a tendency to walk around the office in the early morning in my sweaty cycle kit.

What advice would you give to young deal lawyers starting out? Take the time to get to know your fellow trainees, they will be your future partners and work colleagues.

What's the best part of your job? Having such a fantastic bunch of work colleagues across the globe.

What's the toughest ethical/moral dilemma your job has ever presented you with? Having to decide whether to stop acting on a deal involving a larger-than-life character who could easily have been mistaken for a character from a James Bond film. He didn't have a cat, but my team was convinced he had a shark tank underneath the boardroom table. We finished the deal.

What most annoys you about the legal profession? Grandstanding.

What's the worst corporate event you've ever attended? A wet and freezing day at Wimbledon watching Tim Henman lose (again!)

What is the daftest bit of corporate jargon you've heard (and did you smirk)? I get mildly irritated by the constant 'touch base' refrain and the need to 'socialise issues'.

What will be the most significant market trend in terms of your practice area over the next 12 months? Rapid growth of the international debt and equity capital markets to refinance the wall of corporate debt now falling due.

Do you see yourself having a career outside law? I fear it's probably too late for a career as a professional cyclist at this stage.

What's your favourite item of clothing? My cycle shoes.

What's your favourite cheese? Epoisses.

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