Addleshaws' Qatar head on fleeing Iraq, elusive smoking guns and the dangers of office flings

Why did you become a lawyer? I had a great sense of justice and injustice – my father was sentenced to death in absentia in Iraq and had all his assets sequestered by the Ba'athist Regime at the time. We had to move to England almost overnight and start a new life. It was harder for my parents who left a very pampered existence almost overnight to start afresh in a new country.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career? My father – he never failed to support me and encourage me. He showed me how dedication and hard work paid off for him when he lost almost everything.