Position: Partner, Corporate Finance
Education: PPE, Oxford University; GDL, City University; LPC, College of Law, London
Joined Clifford Chance: 1998
Qualified: 2000 Corporate Finance
Joined the Clifford Chance Partnership: 2008

I think the best piece of advice I can offer is to ‘go where you like the people'. I did, and the reality of my career here has surpassed my expectations. For the most part, it is the people around me that make Clifford Chance a great place to work. The fact that I'm still enjoying myself here more than 10 years on speaks volumes.

Corporate finance transactions offer a huge diversity of interesting work. Early in a deal I might be helping to structure the transaction, or deciding whether there is a deal to be done at all. Later I will be helping my client achieve the best possible outcome, for example, by helping identify potential problems with the target business, by advising on a negotiation strategy, or by negotiating on the client's behalf. In addition to working with clients on specific transactions, I also advise them on day-to-day matters.



As one of the relationship partners for Kraft Foods, I have spent much of the last couple of years working on Kraft Foods acquisition of Cadbury. This was a hugely complex deal that really played to our strengths as a global firm that specialises in the highest profile work. It really was a fantastic and challenging experience for the whole Clifford Chance team.



One thing that Clifford Chance does really well is to give you the exposure and support to grow and develop your skills and career. I can remember being given challenging tasks to do from the very beginning. Six months after qualification I was asked to negotiate a deal myself. The partner thought that I could handle it; he was right and I learned a lot. That attitude extends to the way we develop our trainees too.