NEXT
Sign in to follow

International Edition

Full of beans

My firm is drowning in twin tsunamis: the hit our business is taking - and a tidal wave of Starbucks we're guzzling to energise our relief efforts and keep those of us left here alert. Any tips for getting more out of a workaholic lawyer's favourite fix du jour?A What a long way we've come since Sufi priests first boiled coffee bean husks in Arabia, drank the resulting elixir, and got dubbed "whirling dervishes" by Europeans witnessing the all-night religious ceremonies the drink fuelled. From such origins, caffeine has burgeoned into the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world, with Americans alone consuming 350 million cups of coffee daily - not to mention tea, Red Bull and countless other products - from cold remedies to weight loss pills - that contain caffeine.
6 minute read

International Edition

The lost generation

"Do not curse your fortune, but rather thank your lucky stars. You have been saved!" is Giles Coren's message to graduates concerned about a City recruitment freeze. Writing last month in The Times, the journalist and occasional TV personality continues: "If the banks have closed their doors and the law firms don't want you, all you need is... our congratulations." Coren says that back when he graduated in 1991 it was only the "Hooray Henrys with an expensive lifestyle but very little brain who sold out to Linklaters and McKinsey and Deutsche Bank".
7 minute read

International Edition

Partners with partners

Take it from someone who knows; if you are contemplating a move abroad, remember: you are not alone.More often than not if you are married or in a relationship and one of you takes a post overseas to join an existing business, the other is often 'slipstreaming'. It is important to remember that your spouse or partner may not have the same support network and exciting new things that you will have to occupy their time. You will have the familiarity of the organisation that you work for, the type of work you are doing and very often the people you are to be working with. Your spouse or partner, in contrast, is very often plucked out of their existing comfortable environment and thrown into an unfamiliar and stressful world. So remember to think about what's in it for your partner and how can you ease their transition; failure to do so may mean the move is only 50% successful. A year after my family's move and I am pleased to report it has achieved a 100% success rating, due to attention paid in the following areas.
5 minute read

International Edition

Movers and sheikers

We are all living and working through exceptional times. Law firms and partners must respond to the increasing pace of change in the markets and with clients, and so partner flexibility and mobility have never been more important.My personal reaction to this new world was to move with my wife and three children (aged 11, 10 and seven) from London to Dubai to jointly run Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's corporate practice in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The motivations and challenges for the move were many, and I and the firm have learned practical lessons from my transfer to the Middle East.
5 minute read

International Edition

Diverse City

One of the most enjoyable aspects of what I do at the Black Lawyers Directory (BLD) is interviewing lawyers (and indeed non-lawyers), particularly for our Lawyers of the Month feature. What has struck me is that a significant number of those that I had interviewed were given what will now be shocking advice when they were starting out. One Chief Crown Prosecutor was told that they were aiming too high and should instead look at secretarial work. One partner at a top 100 law firm was told to forget becoming a lawyer and join the army instead because colour does not matter then. An amusing story, as told to me by John Roberts QC, was when he had just finished his pupillage and was looking for a tenancy. He recalled: "A clerk said to me: 'Sorry, sir, with you being black, solicitors won't brief you. If they do, I will eat my hat!'"
7 minute read

International Edition

The art of flexibility

After years of law firms bragging about career breaks and flexible working opportunities, you would be forgiven for thinking that juggling a career in law with having children must be the easiest thing in the world.But even in this age of the BlackBerry and the trusty laptop, many women in the profession maintain that having children presents a choice: focus on being a mother or on being a career woman because you cannot do both.For those who go down the route of motherhood, two things can make all the difference: flexible childcare and a flexible partner. Slaughter and May's head of corporate, Frances Murphy, is no exception - she has a live-in nanny and a flexible husband. And she is far from alone in asserting that without these, working life would be extraordinarily difficult to manage. Even with nursery care, the idea of being able to leave the office at 5.30pm - even if the firm allows it - is simply not a realistic option for most senior lawyers.
5 minute read

International Edition

Wake up to women power

I was filled with trepidation when first asked to write an article outlining my views around the subject of women forging a successful career in legal services while also raising a family.I have, when pressed in the past, resisted any personal visibility on this topic. I have a deeply held belief that each person does what is right for them and that those choices are no one else's business. Why am I sensitive to the issue? Well, I have five children, I am a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and have, over the past years both in social and work circumstances, been on the receiving end of a number of judgemental comments relating to my career priorities.
5 minute read

International Edition

Styled to succeed

The first day of any new job is a daunting prospect. When first impressions count for everything, looking the part matters. And while competition to stand out from the crowd is fierce, attracting attention for your sartorial sense may not be the best first step.So, what is the difference between 'smart business' and 'traditional business' - and just how do you tackle 'dress down Fridays'?General consensus among City firms is that dressing successfully boils down to creating a professional impression, of which your wardrobe is just one aspect. As Deborah Dalgleish, head of trainee recruitment at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, says, this means it is not just what you wear, but how you wear it: "From the clients' point of view, they can't always make a judgement on the legal advice you are giving them, so they judge you on how you come across in the office and your overall appearance."
8 minute read

International Edition

Strength in numbers

There are some people in this world who live life to the full and others who do not know when to say 'no'. I am trying to decide if I fall into the former or the latter. As a US securities partner at Simmons & Simmons, one would think that my day job keeps me occupied enough. In truth, it does, and then some. However, I think when you have a passion for something, that energy can be channelled to accomplish even more. Over the past few years I have been involved in two exciting projects, one rooted in the familiarity of US securities law and the other involving a journey into the realm of equality and diversity which has been unexpected, demanding and very rewarding.
7 minute read

International Edition

Gauging the net worth

There is a tendency to talk up the career benefits of online social networking. In this parallel universe, anyone serious about getting on in life has hundreds of career-enhancing Facebook contacts who they regale daily with tales from their carefully-tended blogs. This, supposedly, generates waves of business opportunities, coupled with many wonderful nights out, as boundaries between business and pleasure blur. The tech-savvy associate then completes their triumphant march to partnership with an ease unimaginable in the pre-internet age.This doesn't actually happen, right? While lawyers have been among the most enthusiastic social users of online networking - as illustrated by Allen & Overy's much-mocked ban in 2007 on staff using Facebook - it remains a rarity for the profession to use such tools to further their career.
8 minute read

TRENDING STORIES

Law Pro Logo

Featured Firms

Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.

(470) 294-1674

Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone

(857) 444-6468

Smith & Hassler

(713) 739-1250

More from ALM

More from ALM

Legal Speak is a weekly podcast that makes sense of what’s happening in the legal industry.

Resources

  • 2024 Trends Report Mid-Year Special Edition: Update on Outside Counsel Billing Rates

    Brought to you by LexisNexis® CounselLink®

    Download Now

  • AI in Private Equity: A Guide for Gaining an Early Advantage

    Brought to you by Ontra

    Download Now

  • Why Are So Many Law Firms Suddenly Embracing Digital Transformation?

    Brought to you by AllRize

    Download Now

  • 2025 State Legislative Sessions

    Brought to you by LexisNexis®

    Download Now