Pinsents bank litigation head Michael Isaacs on embarrassing hotel mix-ups, being set up with a client's niece and the indefatigability of Frozen

Why did you become a lawyer?
My dad told me he always knew I would become a lawyer because I was a very argumentative child. But watching LA Law as a teenager I fancied myself as a Victor Sifuentes type, fighting against injustice.
 
Who has been the biggest influence on your career?
My dad, who came to England in 1961 with basically nothing, finished medical training at Paddington General before moving north and into general practice. My brother and I never lacked for anything as we grew up, which I realised later must have been a lot harder to achieve than it seemed. If I ever think that what I do is hard, I remind myself that what he did was harder.
 
What's your proudest professional moment?
Achieving a successful outcome for Royal Bank of Scotland on a case that I'd worked on for five years through the High Court and Court of Appeal and ultimately in the House of Lords.

… and worst day on the job?
I was leading a team of partners presenting a multi-jurisdictional training session at a bank. We were all staying in a City hotel, and the rooms were booked under my name. When one of my female Italian partners arrived very late the night before the training she found that she didn't have a room booked in her name, and gave mine instead. Cue a duplicate key-card being issued and a high-pitched scream…

Aside from your own firm, which lawyer do you most admire and why? 
In my formative years I worked at Hammond Suddards with a partner called Mike Shepherd. He was the most self-reinvented lawyer I have ever known, becoming a specialist in several areas over time and ultimately becoming head of safety, health and environment. He always saw where things were going and made sure he was relevant to clients.
 
What's your strongest characteristic… and worst trait?
Strongest: I have no patience with office politics – it gets in the way of getting things done. Worst: I have no patience with office politics – it is sometimes the only way to get things done.

What most annoys you about the legal profession?
Ego. All senior lawyers and partners have it to some degree, but some allow it to cloud their judgement on what the right answer or approach is.

What's the most unusual/shocking request you've ever had from a client?  
A wealthy client once tried to set me up with their young niece.
 
What's the most memorable deal you have ever worked on and why?
Bizarrely it was one I worked on when I was a trainee. I got dragged into a completion on Christmas Eve, and as the clock ticked past midnight into Christmas Day (also my birthday) I thought: 'Is this what being a corporate lawyer means?' From that moment, I knew I would be a litigator!
 
What's the daftest bit of corporate jargon you've heard (and did you smirk)?
C-suite – exactly where is this suite? Is it part of a classical symphony? No, it's shorthand for top company executives apparently. I don't smirk when I hear it, but I have been known to roll my eyes.
 
Do you see yourself having a career outside law?
Every lawyer does at some point. But sadly, after 20-odd years, I am totally institutionalised.

It's midnight and you're in the office for the night. Where's your takeaway from?
Domino's – Texas BBQ pizza.

What are your desert island discs?
Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran, All Out of Love by Air Supply, I Say a Little Prayer by Dionne Warwick and of course Let it Go from Frozen, because I'll never get that song out of my head anyway.

What's your favourite box set?
Battlestar Galactica or Game of Thrones.