I studied law at St Catherine’s College, Cambridge and joined Herbert Smith in 1979 as a trainee. I’ve been a partner for just over twenty years and was elected senior partner in 2009 for a five year term.
What makes us different
Herbert Smith’s a different law firm. Our business model isn’t the same as everybody else’s. We have what is recognised by third parties as one of, if not the, leading global disputes practices. We also have an absolutely top tier corporate practice. What that means is that we are as well placed as anybody to address the sort of issues that keep boards awake at night. Those are issues of risk and reputation, and the combination of the go-to litigation brand and the ability to operate at the very highest level in a boardroom, give us a unique mix which clients appreciate.
As well as our disputes practice and our corporate practice, we have a market leading finance practice. Our real estate practice is very much driven by finding unique solutions to unusual problems.
Our network
Herbert Smith has a network of offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. That network supports our thriving India and Africa practices together with our leading practice focused on the Americas. Our strategy in Europe is very much a reflection of the fact that clients looking at Europe don’t look at the United Kingdom in isolation. We therefore have strong offices and practices in Paris, Brussels and Madrid.
If we look across the rest of the globe, what we have sought to do is to open offices where we think the clients of the future will be based. We have developed a very strong practice in Moscow, have opened more recently in the Middle East and have been long-term investors in China. We have another group of offices in South East Asia - in Singapore, Jakarta and Bangkok and that is complemented by our Tokyo office. In all of those locations we’re working to get close to the clients of tomorrow.
Our reputation
We’re recognised as being one of the world’s global elite law firms. What does that mean? It’s all about quality. It’s about the quality of work, it’s about the quality of clients and it’s about the quality of people. What really matters to me is the quality of the work we do and the fact that it is recognised at the very highest levels as being of the very highest quality. At the end of the day, we’re in the business of selling law, we charge a premium price for a premium product and therefore we have to have the very best lawyers. Young lawyers, partners, everybody contributes to that. It’s a hardworking environment. We operate in an intensely competitive market.
Our culture
We have to compete very hard, but there’s a balance and I think the balance comes from the reward from the quality of work, seeing what you’re doing in the newspapers, seeing it on the television news and knowing that you are doing the very best work. We try to do that in an environment that’s helpful and supportive. We use the word collegiate and what does that mean? It means that when times are tough we help one another out.
But that’s all the serious stuff. The other part of collegiality and teamwork is that it should be fun working together. You should have a laugh, however difficult it is, however late at night it is. One of the things that I’d like to think that distinguishes us from some of our competitors is that our clients think actually if I’m going to be stuck there at late at night I’d like to have the Herbert Smith team with me because they’re fun people to work with.