Addleshaw Goddard partner Paula Dillon on why the life of a kept woman is not for her
Why did you become a lawyer?
I dreaded reaching a point where I stopped learning and every day was the same. I liked the fact that the law offered challenges without either significant financial risk or physical danger.
What’s the best part of your job?
When you know that your client could not have done the deal — either at all, or quite as well — without your team.
What’s your strongest characteristic?
I tell it like it is.
…and worst trait?
Telling it like it is.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career?
The ‘old guard’ partners’ emphasis on excellence, integrity and behaving decently towards others is something which has had a profound influence on me. They laid the foundations for Addleshaws’ culture, which is a legacy of which they can be extremely proud.
What’s your proudest professional moment?
Seeing people whom I have mentored become partners.
…and worst day on the job?
I have endured some extremely stressful or boring days when I felt that it was all too hard and I should have become a kept woman. Fortunately, the good days outnumber the bad by about 100 to one, and I am both too old and too opinionated to become a kept woman.
What’s the best part of your job?
When you know that your client could not have done the deal — either at all, or quite as well — without your team.
What annoys you most about the legal profession?
Lawyers who confuse posturing and flaunting their (self-assessed) intellect with doing a good job for the client.
Why did you choose Addleshaw Goddard?
Great people, top-quality clients and a culture which I believe in and which informs all aspects of the business.
Do today’s law students have it easier or harder than your generation of lawyers?
If they are well motivated then it is a little easier. There are more support structures now so theoretically a talented person will get more help with career development. However, there is also more rigorous assessment, so late developers or the less motivated might find it harder.
What’s the most common misconception trainees have about the firm?
Firstly, that we are a City firm or a northern firm. We are neither and both; all three offices work together. Secondly, some are surprised by the quality of the work and the extent to which they can get involved. A number have also commented on how nice people are. I am not quite sure what they were expecting!
The article appears in the Spring 2007 edition of the Legal Week Student supplement. Click here for a full list of articles. To order a hard copy email ben.martin@legalweek.com or ring 020 7004 7422.
Legal Week Student Spring 2007
