Travers Smith partner Edmund Reed was listed as one of 2018′s biggest U.K. M&A dealmakers. In 2015, he advised Guardian Financial Services' management team in relation to its sale to Swiss Re, and was part of the Travers team advising on the sale of restaurant brands Zizzi and ASK Italian by Cinven to rival buyout group Bridgepoint for £250m in 2014.

Why did you become a lawyer? The honest answer is kind of by accident. I did a law degree as I thought it might be interesting and that I might as well then qualify. I found the job of being a lawyer far more fun and interesting than the degree, so I've stuck with it!

Who has been the biggest influence on your career? My parents – neither of them were lawyers or gave me any career advice specific to the law, but they did always tell me to do what I enjoy and act with integrity. It's been a pretty solid approach for me for more than 20 years and I don't see that changing.

What's your proudest professional moment? Becoming a partner at Travers Smith.

 …and worst day on the job? After working with no sleep for two nights, being forced to wait for a few more hours to see if some minority shareholders would sign the deal once their plane landed. Luckily they got off their plane and signed, but it was a horrible struggle to stay awake and focused until they did. 

Aside from your own firm, which lawyer do you most admire and why? I'm reading the biography of Alexander Hamilton at the moment – one of the founding fathers of America, leading New York lawyer, constitutional expert, first U.S. treasury secretary, politician, soldier and all-round super-smart guy. What he achieved in his lifetime was nothing short of incredible, so you can't help but admire him. He also had plenty of flaws though, making him likeable and human. If people are still reading your biography more than 200 years after your death, you are probably doing something right…

What's your strongest characteristic… and worst trait? I always try to be positive and upbeat in life generally, but especially when the pressure is on in a deal. Worst trait is I'm not very good when I get bored – I like to be in the middle of stuff happening.

What advice would you give to young deal lawyers starting out? I always try to pass on the same advice my parents gave me.

What most annoys you about the legal profession? There are some you come across who are just very pleased with themselves – often for no immediately obvious reasons. I try to make sure that I never do that…

What's the most unusual/shocking request you've ever had from a client? I once had a client who was very insistent I produce some documents for him to sign and back-date several months to the previous tax year. I had to say the words "tax fraud" quite a few times before he finally got the message.

Most memorable deal you ever have worked on and why? Back in 2007, I acted for a PE House when they invested in Foster + Partners, the architects business. It was early in my career as a partner and a really fast-moving, high-profile auction. Having got that done, it helped give me the additional self-belief to succeed. I also just love the Fosters business as it's so creative and cutting edge – I still act for them now.

What is the daftest bit of corporate jargon you've heard (and did you smirk)? There is just so much of it – I heard someone describe something offered on a deal they didn't value as a "nothingburger" the other day. When I hear this stuff, I don't normally smirk, I just laugh.

Do you see yourself having a career outside law? I still really enjoy my job so I can't see that anytime soon but maybe someday I'll come across something else that interests me enough.

What's your favourite item of clothing? A suit when I'm at work. We can wear anything we want and the team is entirely dress down other than me. I just like wearing a suit at work even if they all do think I'm odd!

What are your desert island discs? I like a wide variety of music and my family will tell you that I tend to get mildly obsessed with something for a time and play it on a loop for a while. Currently that is the hip hop/rap genius that is the soundtrack to Hamilton – seeing the musical inspired me to read his biog. Others I keep coming back to over the years include Handel's Messiah and The Police. But what I really want to take is Spotify…

Favourite boxset(s)? The first one I really liked was The West Wing – the characters are just so well written. I've also enjoyed some of the darker stuff in Black Mirror and the first few series of The Walking Dead, which may say something about me. More recently through, I have rediscovered on Netflix, Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends – the man is a genius at gently pointing out the amusing absurdity of much of life.

What's your favourite cheese? Is this a trick question because I pretty much love all cheese? If you push me then maybe I'll go for Stilton. I ate a lot of that over Christmas.