Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer private equity partner Charles Hayes is this week's dealmaker. Hayes closed out a strong 2017 with roles on a number of deals, including acting for private equity firm PCP Capital Partners on its pursuit of Newcastle United Football Club and acting for CVC on its ultimately unsuccessful bid for Unilever's spreads division.

Why did you become a lawyer? I thought it would be a shortcut into investment banking – cutting out the analyst years – but when I was honest with myself I realised I loved being a lawyer, and stuck with it for all of its challenges; I found the intellectual aspects of it particularly rewarding.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career? Without a doubt, Chris Bown (formerly Freshfields, now CVC). Not only is he a phenomenal practitioner whom I learned a lot from as an associate (and continue to as a partner) but he has also had a huge impact on my view of what the practice of law should look like.