Last month, Linklaters City corporate partner James Inglis advised Amec Foster Wheeler on its £2.2bn sale to energy services company Wood Group. He is one of the lead partners acting for the British services group, alongside global M&A head Aedamar Comiskey.

Why did you become a lawyer? It seemed more fulfilling than being a banker, which is the direction that many of my contemporaries took at the time, with the opportunity to create long-term relationships with clients.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career? My former colleague Jeremy Parr [now GC at Jardine Matheson Holdings], who I have worked with for more than 20 years and who is now a client – a strategic thinker and a great motivator.

What's your proudest professional moment? Electing colleagues as new partners. I can remember how much making partner meant to me, and it's great to see associates one has worked with joining the partnership.

…and worst day on the job? Failing to ensure that a speaker phone had been disconnected, before engaging in a long discussion with a senior partner about the (extensive) shortcomings of the lawyer on the other side, only to find out that the entire discussion had been recorded on his voicemail.

Aside from your own firm, which lawyer do you most admire and why? Simon Ward, long since retired from Slaughter and May, but a regular source of sensible guidance and perspective over lunch. What's your strongest characteristic… and worst trait? Complete loyalty to clients.

What advice would you give to young deal lawyers starting out? Pace yourself.

What's the best part of your job? The sheer unpredictability and range of situations that clients need help with.

What most annoys you about the legal profession? Entrenched working practices and a reluctance to innovate – something which we at Linklaters are working hard to change.

What's the most unusual/shocking request you've ever had from a client? I remember being surprised, initially, when a client suspended a meeting early one morning, after an all-nighter, so they could interview a new nanny in our reception area.

Most memorable deal you ever have worked on and why? Working with Novartis on its asset swap with GSK, for many reasons – a groundbreaking deal in terms of complexity and speed of execution. Do you see yourself having a career outside law? I have picked up the skills necessary to be a diplomat, a magician, a marathon runner, or an escapologist, among many others, but I feel that my true vocation may be in my current role.

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

It's midnight and you're in the office for the night – where's your takeaway from? A scenario I try hard to avoid, but on a recent Sunday night I found myself enjoying a takeaway from our in-house kitchens, which operate 24/7 and are hard to beat.

What are your desert island discs? Sounds like a great opportunity to digest a Linklaters podcast on MiFID II.

Favourite boxset? Billions.

What's your favourite cheese? Lyburn Blue.