After completing my business degree, I wanted to become a professional who could offer practical advice to clients and help resolve their problems. My father is a solicitor and my brother is a barrister, and seeing what they do day-to-day confirmed that a career in law would fit with my goals. At an early stage, I started to think about which specific area I would like to practise in. To my mind, Intellectual Property is a particularly valuable – but often neglected – asset for businesses, so this was the area I decided to pursue.

I wanted to start my career with the best in the field, which is what brought me to Baker McKenzie. As well as being is a top-tier global firm, I discovered they have a strong Intellectual Property practice. Before I started my Training Contract, I completed a Summer Clerkship in Hong Kong, and an International Clerkship in Washington D.C. Then, during my time as a Trainee, I had the chance to do a secondment with the Firm’s EU, Competition & Trade Group in London.

At every stage – before and during my Training Contract, and indeed since I qualified – I’ve had lots of opportunities to work closely with the leading Partners in each office and get first-hand experience of local legal matters. What I’ve enjoyed most, however, is the strong connection between those offices. We have to coordinate our efforts and deal with cross-border issues daily, and it makes our work so much easier knowing there are local experts we can call on at any time.

Given that the senior members of my team are all specialists in different areas, as a junior it did take time for me to carve my own niche. But the people around me have always been incredibly supportive, and the Firm has always been willing to allocate resources to help me achieve my career goals. Now that I’ve established myself, I’m working towards become a trusted specialist in trademark matters.