When did you work at Norton Rose Fulbright and in what team?

I had my first experience of Norton Rose Fulbright in 2011. I was studying Geography at university and had not considered being a lawyer at all. I realised I wanted to work in the City and a friend suggested I try for a law firm’s vacation scheme. I applied to Norton Rose Fulbright and was very lucky to be offered a place. I sat in the Competition team, who made me feel very welcome, and after just two weeks I knew I’d found my future career.  So, I went to law school after graduating and joined Norton Rose Fulbright again as a trainee in 2014.  

Training at Norton Rose Fulbright was a fun, busy and whirlwind two years. I vividly recall my first day as a trainee. I was sharing an office with Donald Warnock who, as he introduced himself that morning, informed me that his two young sons were coming into the office but not to worry as they wouldn’t be any trouble. When Donald was called into a meeting, I was suddenly left entertaining his two sons and talking about Doctor Who for 30 minutes – not quite what I had been expecting as a trainee lawyer but a learning experience nonetheless! As it turned out, this seat was the one that set the tone for the rest of my training contract and I structured all of my rotations around it. It was a construction seat and, perhaps as result of my Geography degree, I knew that I preferred working on matters with physical assets (property makes more sense to me - I’ve never been able to wrap my head around intangibles). Donald became the partner who I would work with for the next seven years.

What are your favourite memories from your time with the firm? 

It was the people who made it special. However, it was the things accomplished with the Pride Network that really stick in my mind. The network was founded a few years before I joined the firm by Jamie Morton and Laura Hodgson (who I would later work closely with and admired very much). I became a committee member as a trainee, eventually becoming the Chair. Despite the social changes of the 90’s and 00’s, there were still embedded behaviours in society and business that were exclusionary to LGBTQIA+ people. The Pride Network always tried to be visible, bringing topics to the forefront of the firm’s agenda so that staff and clients recognised the issues faced by the LGBTQIA+ community. The network eventually pivoted towards inclusion, trying to ensure people were supported, empowered and given equal opportunities. 

I worked a lot with Sacha de Klerk and Siri Nomme who were great advocates for the different employee networks. Some of the best things we accomplished as a network were with our clients. I particularly remember hosting a day long workshop for LGBTQIA+ staff and clients which focused on authenticity and empowerment in the workplace. I was also very proud to work on the annual Stonewall Index submission, culminating in 2017 when Norton Rose Fulbright achieved a top-10 ranking. It was a standout moment and a great benchmarking exercise. Being part of the  Pride Network also gave me invaluable exposure to different people throughout the firm, and that certainly remains the case today for all of the other brilliant ERG networks. 

Was there anyone who particularly inspired you in your career?

I worked with a lot of phenomenal working mothers while at Norton Rose Fulbright – many of whom were juggling a demanding job and hectic family life. Their resilience and work ethic always amazed me – never stopping to deliver fantastic service to clients. Amy Armitage, Jo Kern and Emily Coates taught me how to value myself, my family and my career all together, and I’ll never forget that. It’s strange to think that before the pandemic flexible working was something which people had to fight for and wasn’t a right, and these women really trailblazed. Hybrid working has since revolutionised working life for the better, long may it continue.  

Where has your career taken you since leaving Norton Rose Fulbright?

The pandemic was tough. Norton Rose Fulbright tried its best to promote a healthy work/life balance - but the line between my office and personal life became very blurred. It made me consider what I really wanted from my career. As the world re-opened, I took a job at Belmond, a hotel/travel company part of the LVMH group. It was bitter-sweet to leave the firm, but working at Belmond fed into my re-found desire to get out, travel and see the world. And the role did just that - I travelled to amazing places and stayed in some unique hotels. I met Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons (he told me an interesting but long-winded story of his mother’s recipes), mingled with the European social-set at La Residencia and travelled from Venice to Paris on the Venice-Simplon Orient Express. The night I spent on the train was especially memorable – an intimate Pride themed trip which saw me and my partner share champagne and stories with a handful of larger-than-life LGBTQIA+ celebrities, activists and influencers. We certainly kept the bar carriage busy until the early hours! Belmond own almost all of their properties (rather than manage them) so it was familiar territory, similar to being in the developer’s shoes like the clients I acted for a Norton Rose Fulbright. I helped implement CAPEX projects all over the world, and although the international aspect of the job expanded my horizons, after two years I decided I wanted to return to something more traditional. I love London and it finally felt like it was fully open again. An opportunity to join the Crown Estate’s legal team presented itself, allowing me to work across their iconic London portfolio. It was a no brainer. Not many people get to sign a document on behalf of ‘the Crown’, and walking down Regent Street has never made me so proud – the social and environmental commitment of the organisation is really inspiring.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given in your career?

Always be the social secretary! Try and laugh about something at least once a day, even if it’s at your own expense.

What do you do in your spare time?

I am the world’s biggest Eurovision fan. I’ve travelled to the contest several times – Ukraine, Portugal, Germany, Israel. One year I worked backstage. I even wrote my undergraduate dissertation on the contest – ‘Making your mind up: a cultural comparison of the Eurozone vis-à-vis European pop music’ (I was really clutching at straws). Maybe it’s the campness, maybe it’s just the competition itself, but either way it’s something of a religious experience for me.

I already have my tickets for Liverpool (being a superfan has it’s perks - I was lucky to win a ticket ballot drawn by the official fan club). I think it’s great that the UK are taking the contest seriously again, and it makes me so proud that we’re hosting on behalf of Ukraine. When I last visited Kyiv, officials were clearing the last of the rubble away from the Orange Revolution. It’s strange to think where we are today. The current war is heart-breaking, but I really do believe in the power of the contest – and music more generally – to bring people together. I hope we do the Ukrainian people and nation proud.

My prediction for this year’s winner? It’s going to be a close race between Finland (glam-rock meets K-pop meets Latin ballroom) and Sweden (2012’s winner, Loreen, is back with a pop masterpiece).