Why did you become a lawyer? My wife decided that I would make a good lawyer and should go back to university. It is something I'd always considered, but not put into action. I originally studied business and finance and had done a few legal topics along the way, which I found very interesting. I knew that I wanted to be an M&A lawyer.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career? There are many people who have influenced me along the way but the biggest influence has been someone outside of the law, Yoshio Iwanami, who is my kendo teacher in Japan. Kendo is a Japanese martial art, harking back to the time of the Samurai. He is very much a modern-day Samurai and talks a lot about the philosophy behind kendo and the discipline of the Samurai. The unwritten Samurai code of conduct, known as Bushido, held that the true warrior must hold loyalty, courage, veracity, compassion and honour as important, above all else. These are useful guiding principles that can be applied to everyday life as a lawyer.

What was your worst day on the job? Worst moment was waking up in a hotel room after a very long completion (days and nights) in a coma-like state. I'd slept through multiple alarm calls, a Blackberry alarm next to my head on full volume that had given up and 24 missed calls. It took me quite a while to recover from that completion.

What's your strongest characteristic…and worst trait? I've been told that I am relentlessly calm. When I was younger I used to get complaints that I was very laid back. Now that I've grown up a bit, I've advanced to calm. It certainly comes in handy when people around you are getting stressed. As for worst traits, apparently I am very stubborn. I continue to disagree on this.

What advice would you give to young deal lawyers starting out? Just get stuck in and enjoy the challenging work. Try and enjoy it all. It is all interesting in its own way and having the right mindset from the start is important and will take you a long way.

What's the best part of your job? Most definitely being a trusted adviser and bridge between the two very different cultures of Japan and UK. The way to approach a problem, communicate, decide and deliver a solution is very different. Having a foot in both cultures makes an interesting and challenging M&A transaction even more so.

What most annoys you about the legal profession? The only thing that genuinely annoys me is when you come across someone who is unnecessarily aggressive by email; especially when they cc clients on both sides. I'm not a fan of showing off in this way.

What's the most unusual/shocking request you've ever had from a client? A long time ago, I once heard that clients had made a request to another lawyer in my firm at that time to insert bad leaver provisions in a joint venture agreement, in the event that one brother had a relationship with the other brother's wife. Not a piece of drafting that I'd want to deal with!

Most memorable deal you have ever worked on and why? In recent times, helping to create, advise and deliver the acquisition of Inov-8 for Descente, a Japanese sportswear company. It took more than a year to complete and involved being a very strong cultural bridge between buyers and sellers to ensure a smooth transaction. Being involved at the very early stages, helping to create the deal itself, was very interesting.

Do you see yourself having a career outside law? Many years into the future I can see myself living in Japan and helping to teach kendo in a dojo [a training place specifically for Japanese martial arts]. It wouldn't be another career as such, but the continuation of a lifetime pursuit.

It's midnight and you're in the office for the night, where's your takeaway from? If I can find it that late at night, it would have to be some Japanese food. Depends on which time of year it is, as their food is very seasonal. If it's a cold and dark winter night, then it would have to be oden (Japanese stew).

What are your desert island discs? A mix of Led Zeppelin, Cassandra Wilson and Southern All Stars.

Favourite boxset? The Moaning of Life with Karl Pilkington.