HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS
05
VERONICA ROBERTS
MARK BARDELL
Rupert: I’ve been at the firm for 16 years and, because of the people and the work, I still look forward to coming into the office each and every day. I can’t think of a better reason than that. If you could offer one piece of advice to graduates, what would it be? Veronica: Make sure you choose the law firm where you feel most comfortable. Mark: Be responsible for your own decisions. Try things out, see what interests you and decide what you want. Then, take ownership of your future and do what you need to do to get there. If you had to describe Herbert Smith Freehills What kind of people do law firms need more of? Veronica: More people with a genuine passion for the law who really enjoy using their problem solving skills to get the best possible results. Mark: An even greater variety of people rather than all being of a type and sitting in a particular cookie cutter shape. Only with this variety will we come up with the right answer for different clients in different places. in three words, what would they be? Veronica: Ambitious, international and approachable. Rupert: Ambitious, global and diverse.
What do you wish you’d known before you’d started your training contract? Mark: That I didn’t need to know everything on day one. What’s important is an understanding of how to research law and find an answer to particular problems. Veronica: I wish that I’d known how important it was to be yourself. There’s not one type here and in fact that’s why it works so well. If you hadn’t chosen a career in law, what would you have done with your life? Veronica: I would’ve been a violin teacher in the south of France. I used to teach violin as a part- time job at school and I’ve always loved French. Mark: I like to think that I would’ve been a novelist. I like reading and like to think that I could write a creative novel. In reality, however, I probably would have been a management consultant!
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