I studied history and economics in secondary school. In history, I learned about the rise and fall of regimes, causes of conflicts and wars, and how we have come to today’s world. In economics, I studied the constant problem of scarcity and how resources should be distributed. It was the study of these two subjects that led me to the bigger question of how human beings should organise their society. And that, in turn, is what led me to a career in law.

Baker McKenzie is renowned for its full service offering, its global network and the fact that it works across so many jurisdictions around the world. The opportunity for international exposure and the chance to gain experience across such a wide range of practice areas were two key factors that attracted me to the Firm.

I’m now in my fourth seat, and I think having to familiarize myself quickly with different industries and the laws around them has been one of the biggest challenges. My rotations in Real Estate, Intellectual Property, Financial Services and Dispute Resolution have all required very different skillsets and knowledge.

Of the areas I’ve experienced so far, the one I enjoyed most was Financial Services. With fintechs developing so rapidly in recent years, it was exciting to get up to speed with all the latest economic and financial trends.

With the likes of cryptocurrencies, things in the finance industry are often changing too fast for laws and regulations to catch up. Sometimes there are just no precedents to follow. So for a lawyer to make a judgement they need a deep understanding of the rationale behind the law and plenty of practising experience, accumulated over time. To me that’s what being a great lawyer is all about, and it’s what I’m now trying hard to develop.