People are the key to what I do – and I have met some fascinating people in the course of my work.

One client is involved with a charity which brings children from Chernobyl over to the UK for a month’s holiday each year – he takes them on trips and hosts them, along with other people and that is a highlight of his year.

That’s not the kind of detail you expect from a corporate client, but it really isn’t always just about the deal you’re doing – I get to know them well as people, because the kind of transaction they’re involved in is a major step in their lives.

Because I deal with the health and social care sector, the businesses involved are often sole practitioners, who are selling their life’s work – in those circumstances, I do build a relationship with them.

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It’s important to be flexible as well as approachable – I deal with a lot of dentists and they spend their normal working hours sorting out people’s teeth, so if they need to talk about contracts, that has to be during the evening.

That flexibility is still surprisingly unusual in some law firms, but I think it’s vital.

Having grown up in Worcestershire, and worked here for most of my professional life, I have been very lucky to be able to develop my career alongside my family life – I started out as a family lawyer, but changed track to corporate and commercial work, because it suited me much better.

Being able to work with people through an exciting, if daunting, time of their lives is a real privilege.