Professional history
I studied history at university but I always wanted to be a lawyer. I intended to become a barrister but I participated in a vacation scheme, at the end of which I was offered a training contract, and decided that becoming a solicitor was the right route for me. Despite that decision, my life almost went in another direction, when I took a year off between my law conversion course and the legal practice course to work in the US. I worked in Washington, DC and later London in political analysis and media relations, as well as doing some freelance writing; it was an exciting time but I am very glad now that I decided to stick with the law. After completing my training contract I qualified as a solicitor into the intellectual property team at Shoosmiths. I practised there for four happy years as an intellectual property and data privacy lawyer before deciding that I needed a new challenge. I joined Taylor Wessing in 2016.
What do you do?
My work encompasses data privacy and information rights, advisory, transactional and contentious work. Depending upon the audience I might introduce myself as a data privacy lawyer, an information rights lawyer, or a reputation management lawyer. Luckily, Taylor Wessing is very supportive of my decision to work the way I do and sees the benefit and professional flexibility that comes with a broad experience.
Career highlights?
I am lucky to have had so many highlights. Obtaining one of the first injunctions against “persons unknown” on Twitter, for a breach of confidence claim, was a big early high for me.
Influences and mentors?
My first mentor in law was Anastasia Fowle, a partner at my first firm. She taught me so much about IP and data but also about getting things done. In my current working life, the head of Taylor Wessing’s data practice, Vinod Bange, is definitely my biggest influence.
If you hadn’t been a lawyer...
I considered journalism or public policy work when I was a student, but history was my first love and I would like to think I could have had an academic career as a historian.
Favourite restaurant?
For the happy memories, and the free drinks they gave me during my student years, I have to say Gino’s in Oxford.