The Mayer Brown partner on regenerating Stratford, his DIY ineptitude and the potential lure of farming

Why did you become a lawyer? I was due to study German and French at university but realised I personally couldn't make a career out of speaking a foreign language, so law seemed to be a sensible and more practical option.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career? Elliott Bernerd of Chelsfield Partners – the deals he has strung together are the envy of the property world. I had the pleasure of working with him on the Westbury Hotel deal and Chelsfield's Stratford development.

What's your proudest professional moment? Signing the regeneration agreement for Stratford in 2002 for Chelsfield and Stanhope – it was once a mud site but now holds the Olympic stadia and Westfield Shopping centre. My train goes past it so it was great to see the transformation day by day.

…and worst day on the job? When a deal collapses at the 11th hour after months of hard work. Unfortunately, that's just the nature of the game. 

Aside from your own firm, which lawyer do you most admire and why? Laurence Rutman – he's retired from Ashurst now but he was very clever and I'm sure he played three-dimensional chess!

What's your strongest characteristic…and worst trait? Sheer pleasure of being on the deal and, according to my wife, my worst trait is my inability to complete DIY projects.

What advice would you give to young deal lawyers starting out? Test as many areas of practice as you can and pursue what you enjoy or branch out.

What's the best part of your job? Definitely the people – you come across some great characters in the property world.

What's the toughest ethical/moral dilemma your job has ever presented you with? I'm glad to say there haven't been many, although occasionally you find yourself in the middle of a fallout between joint venture partners – negotiation skills really come in there!

What most annoys you about the legal profession? The intellectual snobbery of (some) lawyers.

What's your strongest card – technical wizardry or smooth client skills (you can only pick one)? Smooth client skills – I have strong technical skills but my team probably have more wizardry than I do. 

Most memorable deal you have ever worked on and why? The sale of the Westbury Hotel in April 1999 – we worked on it non-stop from 8am on the Thursday to 6am on Saturday, when it signed while a nail bomb went off in nearby Brick Lane. 

What is the daftest bit of corporate jargon you've heard (and did you smirk)? "Let's look outside the box and do some blue sky thinking to see how we can achieve the low-hanging fruit."

What will be the most significant market trend in terms of your practice area over the next 12 months? We've completed a couple of deals recently with Asians investing in London's real estate market and this is set to continue. London will continue to pull away from the UK economy. 

Do you see yourself having a career outside law? I am a trustee of the Royal Agricultural Society of England so, if I ever leave the legal world, maybe there's something there to explore. 

What's your favourite item of clothing? My cufflinks.

What's your favourite cheese? Epoisse. 

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