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By Mark Goddard | March 4, 2009
We are all living and working through exceptional times. Law firms and partners must respond to the increasing pace of change in the markets and with clients, and so partner flexibility and mobility have never been more important.My personal reaction to this new world was to move with my wife and three children (aged 11, 10 and seven) from London to Dubai to jointly run Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's corporate practice in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The motivations and challenges for the move were many, and I and the firm have learned practical lessons from my transfer to the Middle East.
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By Mark Goddard | February 25, 2009
One of the most enjoyable aspects of what I do at the Black Lawyers Directory (BLD) is interviewing lawyers (and indeed non-lawyers), particularly for our Lawyers of the Month feature. What has struck me is that a significant number of those that I had interviewed were given what will now be shocking advice when they were starting out. One Chief Crown Prosecutor was told that they were aiming too high and should instead look at secretarial work. One partner at a top 100 law firm was told to forget becoming a lawyer and join the army instead because colour does not matter then. An amusing story, as told to me by John Roberts QC, was when he had just finished his pupillage and was looking for a tenancy. He recalled: "A clerk said to me: 'Sorry, sir, with you being black, solicitors won't brief you. If they do, I will eat my hat!'"
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By Mark Goddard | February 11, 2009
After years of law firms bragging about career breaks and flexible working opportunities, you would be forgiven for thinking that juggling a career in law with having children must be the easiest thing in the world.But even in this age of the BlackBerry and the trusty laptop, many women in the profession maintain that having children presents a choice: focus on being a mother or on being a career woman because you cannot do both.For those who go down the route of motherhood, two things can make all the difference: flexible childcare and a flexible partner. Slaughter and May's head of corporate, Frances Murphy, is no exception - she has a live-in nanny and a flexible husband. And she is far from alone in asserting that without these, working life would be extraordinarily difficult to manage. Even with nursery care, the idea of being able to leave the office at 5.30pm - even if the firm allows it - is simply not a realistic option for most senior lawyers.
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By Mark Goddard | February 10, 2009
I was filled with trepidation when first asked to write an article outlining my views around the subject of women forging a successful career in legal services while also raising a family.I have, when pressed in the past, resisted any personal visibility on this topic. I have a deeply held belief that each person does what is right for them and that those choices are no one else's business. Why am I sensitive to the issue? Well, I have five children, I am a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and have, over the past years both in social and work circumstances, been on the receiving end of a number of judgemental comments relating to my career priorities.
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By Mark Goddard | February 4, 2009
The first day of any new job is a daunting prospect. When first impressions count for everything, looking the part matters. And while competition to stand out from the crowd is fierce, attracting attention for your sartorial sense may not be the best first step.So, what is the difference between 'smart business' and 'traditional business' - and just how do you tackle 'dress down Fridays'?General consensus among City firms is that dressing successfully boils down to creating a professional impression, of which your wardrobe is just one aspect. As Deborah Dalgleish, head of trainee recruitment at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, says, this means it is not just what you wear, but how you wear it: "From the clients' point of view, they can't always make a judgement on the legal advice you are giving them, so they judge you on how you come across in the office and your overall appearance."
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By Mark Goddard | January 28, 2009
There are some people in this world who live life to the full and others who do not know when to say 'no'. I am trying to decide if I fall into the former or the latter. As a US securities partner at Simmons & Simmons, one would think that my day job keeps me occupied enough. In truth, it does, and then some. However, I think when you have a passion for something, that energy can be channelled to accomplish even more. Over the past few years I have been involved in two exciting projects, one rooted in the familiarity of US securities law and the other involving a journey into the realm of equality and diversity which has been unexpected, demanding and very rewarding.
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By Mark Goddard | January 21, 2009
There is a tendency to talk up the career benefits of online social networking. In this parallel universe, anyone serious about getting on in life has hundreds of career-enhancing Facebook contacts who they regale daily with tales from their carefully-tended blogs. This, supposedly, generates waves of business opportunities, coupled with many wonderful nights out, as boundaries between business and pleasure blur. The tech-savvy associate then completes their triumphant march to partnership with an ease unimaginable in the pre-internet age.This doesn't actually happen, right? While lawyers have been among the most enthusiastic social users of online networking - as illustrated by Allen & Overy's much-mocked ban in 2007 on staff using Facebook - it remains a rarity for the profession to use such tools to further their career.
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By Mark Goddard | January 14, 2009
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming an increasingly serious business at UK law firms. Ad hoc sprees of well-intentioned do-gooding are out, replaced by projects carefully designed to make use of lawyers' skills. The London arm of Weil Gotshal & Manges, for example, assists human rights organisations monitor proceedings in the international criminal court in The Hague. Wragge & Co, meanwhile, gives free legal advice to local charities. And Weightmans runs a project providing work experience for the unemployed.All of this looks impressive on paper, but how does the modern CSR programme work in practice?
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