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MEET OUR PEOPLE
GEORGE CLARKE
ASSOCIATE, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE STUDIED LAW
I’ve always been interested in puzzles and working with other people to solve problems. I studied a wide range of subjects at school, but I knew that I wanted to work in the City and law was the profession that appealed to me the most. It’s important to make a strong commitment to the law and to Herbert Smith Freehills. The firm provides excellent legal and technical training, but the hours can be long and if you just fall into it you’re likely to resent it. The key is to be enthusiastic and to try and speak to as many people as possible. The firm provides a huge number of opportunities, whether it’s with pro bono work, client or overseas secondments; it’s your responsibility to take advantage of these and tailor your training contract to suit your interests and ambitions. I get great satisfaction when a deal completes. Everything you’ve worked on for the last fewmonths comes to an end and something truly tangible has come out of it. It’s a very rewarding feeling. I spent most of my qualification leave sailing across the Atlantic. I went from a glass office in London to 26 days of nothing but blue sea and blue sky. It gave me time to reflect on my training contract and the next stage of my career.
I’m about to transfer to our Tokyo office. It’s going to be a totally new experience. I want to immerse myself in a new culture and find out how different working life is. It’ll also be a chance for me to develop my corporate expertise across a number of countries and continue my transition from trainee to associate.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO MAKE A STRONG COMMITMENT TO THE LAW AND TO HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS
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