Associate
If someone had told me when I first joined Baker McKenzie as a summer clerk that I would one day qualify into the Tax team, I am not sure I would have believed them. Having come from an arts background, tax was never an area I imagined myself practising in. However, my experience at the Firm showed me that tax is far more than numbers and legislation. The more exposure I had to tax work, the more I realised that it involved many of the things that had attracted me to the law in the first place: analysing complex issues, solving challenging problems and helping clients navigate important decisions. That combination of intellectual challenge and practical impact is what I find most engaging about the work.
Having progressed from summer clerk to trainee and now to a newly qualified lawyer, I have been fortunate to experience Baker McKenzie at every stage of my early career. From the outset, I was struck by the Firm’s collaborative and supportive culture. Colleagues have always been approachable, generous with their time and genuinely invested in the development of junior lawyers. Their support has given me opportunities to take on increasing responsibility, develop stronger commercial judgement and build confidence in managing client matters.
One of the things I have come to appreciate most about working in the Tax team is the diversity of the work. Tax intersects with many other areas of law, including corporate, disputes and employment matters, while also encompassing private wealth work such as succession planning and family governance. As a result, every matter presents a different set of issues and a new opportunity to learn. I particularly enjoy the challenge of translating complex legal and tax concepts into practical advice that helps clients achieve their objectives.
A legal career is often portrayed as a series of carefully planned decisions, but my own experience has been quite different. Had I tried to predict where I would end up when I first joined the Firm as a summer clerk, tax would probably not have featured on the list. What made the difference was the opportunity to experience different areas of practice, learn from experienced colleagues and remain open to possibilities I had not previously considered. That journey ultimately led me to a practice area that I find both intellectually stimulating and genuinely rewarding.
