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Tag: legal careers

  • Sheridan Mangal: Inspiring mentorship – a Q & A

    Finito World meets Sheridan Mangal, a mentor with a particular line in career change mentoring

     

    Can you talk a bit about your upbringing and early career choices and how they shaped your work as a mentor for Finito?

    Born in 1961, I am what many would refer to as a baby-boomer, but also first Uk-born from the ‘Windrush’ generation. Raised in East London, progressing through primary and secondary school was a bumpy ride, but was equally the origin of my developing interests and ambitions. Once I realised that being a striker for Chelsea FC required some football talent, I turned my attention elsewhere…the City.

    So how did you make your way in your chosen field?

     

    After doing well at Brooke House Secondary, the intent of a temporary summer job prior to sixth form education turned into a permanent career decision. A City opportunity arose and at 16 years wrapped in sharp suit, my 16 year career at the London Stock Exchange began. This presented many challenges regarding steep learning curves, but also the unpleasant social ills of the time that crept into the workplace. After some years and despite the work experience gained, It is here that I always felt few steps behind those entering via the graduate intake.

    Notwithstanding the lack of confidence, I pressed on, supported by great parents. Effectively, they were my first mentors. As my career progressed, the challenges persisted, but maturity, experience and simultaneous education enabled a response mechanism and positioned me as source of advice for others following.

    This triggered my interest in mentoring. After many years of alliances with youth charities, schools and colleges, often deploying self-designed initiatives, my interest has never waned. Hence, my involvement with Finito, where I can draw on many personal and professional experiences that equate with entry-level candidates as they build and apply their career plans.


    Did you have a mentor growing up or early on in your working life?

    Apart from parental guidance, I had no mentor as such. Indeed the concept of mentorship was unfamiliar and unrefined compared to today. I often say my professional navigation of financial markets through the 70s, 80s and 90s was predominantly by combat rather than design: responding to ad-hoc opportunities as opposed to proactively seeking the next logical step.

    Against this backdrop. I can certainly appreciate the benefits of guidance from someone who has already travelled my journey. It would have saved some considerable pain, particularly at the junctures of indecision and plain fear. The anxiety was debilitating. Hence, I am here today with Finito, offering my stories and knowledge that I trust can be useful to those who are apprehensive, lacking direction or facing obstacles that appear insurmountable.


    You’ve worked for a long time in the financial and hedge fund sectors. What is it you think that mentees ought most to know about those sectors?

    Understanding the dynamics of the securities industry is crucial. Heavily regulated and often driven on market sentiment, the financial markets space is broad and deep, with a variety of instruments and strategies for those of low to high risk appetites.

    As an entrant, my advice would be to know the target sector’s current and emerging states and trends. This includes the leaders and their respective strengths, the established and rising boutiques and the general issues the chosen sector is facing.

    This is particularly so with asset management. The adoption of AI and algorithmic strategies is pervasive as is the growth in passive investing. Regarding employment, candidates must be aligned with entry programmes including ‘off-cycle’ routes.

    Mentees should also ensure applications focus on value offered at the earliest opportunity, from the perspective of the employer. Furthermore, the objective shouldn’t be for a particular role, but to just get into the industry or sector and navigate to where your developing strengths are needed.


    It’s astonishing to see your passion for the law come through on your CV. What is it that drives your passion for the law and your desire to keep on learning?

    Further to my active interest in financial markets, I have always held a curiosity for the legal implications and general application of the law.

    Quite late in my career, I decided to take this further and embark on my legal qualifications while working, culminating in my bar exams during Covid. There were several drivers; my increasing interest in commercial law, unpicking an issue with legal reasoning and the gravitas of becoming a lawyer. More importantly, proving to myself that I could actually do it was the strongest motivation.

    The distillation of a problem into a legal case, concurs with my pattern of detailed thinking regarding outcomes, the inherent dependencies and viable strategies. Indeed I am always curious about a variety of subjects, incidents and histories, some exciting and astonishing, many quite dull, but revealing.

    Nonetheless, I have a constant thirst for learning, teaching and testing myself, albeit through new formidable social and business challenges ….or simply the latest FT cryptic crossword while on the 0659 from Eastbourne to Victoria.


    You’ve been doing a lot of mentoring for Finito. What’s the most common mistake you’re seeing when it comes to young people when they choose their career paths and start out on their career journeys?

    I have been mentoring for over 20 years, recently with Finito. Socially, I remain active volunteering within the context of addressing youths within or vulnerable to negative lifestyles.

    Concurrently, due to my varied experience and knowledge areas I am seen as a source for career advice. Within both settings however, there are similarities. Mentees often are unaware of their real value to an employer. Moreover, they know their abilities, but cannot translate them into something compelling for an employer. This shortfall often arises when networking and when writing to recruiters.

    For example, the narrative is often, “I am good at workflow mapping as seen on project x”. This is incomplete. There needs to be the outcome in terms of “and this helped the company to achieve a faster compliance process”. Another mistake is goal-setting that tends to be too narrow.

    Despite the submission of numerous applications, the candidates perceived success is the ideal one or two employers and/or seeking a post that is far too sophisticated for an entry-level candidate. This can dilute the positives and motivation for alternatives.


    Career change mentoring is a huge growth area for Finito at the moment. What’s your sense on why that is, and what sorts of trends are you typically seeing in this area?

    I look at my experience, having traversed financial markets, teaching/lecturing and the law. Also, the voluntary aspects, including mentorship. Many changes in focus, that draw on different skillsets.

    The bridges I have had to cross have not always been a choice, and the mix of excitement and trepidation was often difficult to grasp and manage guidance at these moments is invaluable.

    In my view, career change mentoring is a growing need due to the pace at which industries are changing. This stems from changing work patterns, the abundance of AI architectures and the shift to platform based solutions.

    The heavy reliance on social and professional digital media, with the near constant stream of opportunities being delivered to subscribers, also raises awareness of alternatives outside the current environment.

    Many candidates, young and more experienced are attuned to a better work-life balance and as such, are less hesitant to take a leap of faith and restart with something new. This is especially so for those wanting to start their own enterprise.

    Naturally, we also have to accept, sometimes we make the wrong decision or it just doesn’t work out. Hence, change is necessary.

    Who are your heroes who have most inspired you in your career?

    These come from several perspectives. Generally I would call on historical figures who despite immense social challenges, took the helm and instigated positive change.

    This served as a character building platform for fearlessness and pushing through. Career-wise, there were those with similar backgrounds to mine, that blazed a trail; footballer Viv Anderson playing for England in 1978 (one year after I began my City career), Baroness Patricia Scotland becoming Attorney General in 2007. Also Sir Damon Buffini in the 1990s, as a major force in Private Equity.

    The underlying inspiration from these figures was collectively, their talent, drive and belief in achieving success.

    As a child (when I was allowed to stay up late!), I was amazed by Sir Patrick Moore’s knowledge of the cosmos. He spurred my interest and explained things that were literally ‘out of this world’, many topics of which I have yet to grasp. His ‘Sky at Night’ TV program was my introduction to independent learning i.e. not connected with the school curriculum, where I would read and enquire. Since then I have remained constant learner.

    What single thing do you most wish you’d known at the start of your working life?

    A career does not always progress in an ordered, linear fashion. Hence, I have to refer to my cub scout days here and their mantra of “Be prepared”. This infers the need to plan, become aware, to investigate and know the prevailing narrative.

    Rather than just reacting or more accurately, panicking when opportunities come knocking, concentrate on being ready to act and assist. The journey may start, but know that the destination could change, many times.

    My time at the Stock Exchange entailed a variety of unrelated posts, successful and failed projects, plus the interaction with all types of personalities. Thereafter, more of the same, including redundancy, international assignments and freelance consulting.

    A career-cocktail with no prevailing recipe. If I could speak to my younger self, I may indeed champion many cliches; “Think like there is no box”, “Know your value”, etc. etc.

    Essentially, my advice would be to expect the unexpected from your preferred industry or alternative, but be ready and resilient through preparation. Further. encourage creativity and have the requisite knowledge and skills ready for deployment.

     

    Enjoyed this article? See our other mentor interviews:

     

    Meet the Mentor: Rara Plumptre, A Journey of Resilience and Kindness

     

    Tom Pauk: Meet the Inspirational Mentor

     

     

     

  • “So, What Do You Do?”: Carter-Ruck lawyer Katherine Hooley on a career in the law

    Katherine Hooley

     

    “So, what do you do …?” That ubiquitous and seemingly simple question intended to glean insight into one’s life, can carry unexpected weight for a lawyer. We often find ourselves navigating preconceptions about our profession. You might recall Shakespeare’s much-quoted line from Henry VI Part II “let’s kill all the lawyers”, a sentiment amusingly echoed during an encounter with a stranger who inquired if I belonged to the “blood sucking” variety of lawyers!

     

    As a lawyer, we are bound by professional obligations such as client confidentiality. This restriction can significantly limit our ability to discuss specifics of our day to day work and our clients’ identities, making the answer to “What do you do?” even more complex.

     

    I am a Senior Associate at the law firm Carter-Ruck and work in the media law team, which specialises in reputation management, involving (among other areas of law) defamation, privacy, data protection, copyright and harassment law.

    We are known for our 40-year history of being at the forefront of the development of law within our practice areas, particularly privacy and reputation, which can be seen with the cases of NT1 & NT2 v Google LLC and a leading Supreme Court decision in PJS v News Group Newspapers Ltd, which, while perhaps not immediately recognisable to laypeople, have been pivotal in shaping privacy law including the ‘Right to be Forgotten’. Only a few weeks ago my colleagues were in the Supreme Court against the Home Office, in what is likely to be a landmark judgment on important issues of defamation law.

    Despite our firm’s association with claimant litigation and advisory services, our practice is multifaceted. We represent both Claimants and Defendants.

    Our clients are global and include governments, heads of state, Members of both Houses of Parliament, multinational companies, corporate and commercial entities, entrepreneurs, shareholders, directors, private family offices, celebrities, sports personalities, private individuals who find themselves temporarily in the public eye, academics and academic institutions. The scope of work is incredibly varied and ranges from litigation to advisory work (including advising on Parliamentary investigations and complaints) across our different practice areas. We also act for global broadcast and media entities, which involves both pre-publication work and dealing with legal and regulatory complaints post publication. Our recognised international law practice spans human rights issues, international arbitration and sanctions work.

    For me, one of the most fulfilling aspects of working at Carter-Ruck is that the client base and work is as broad and diverse as it is interesting and although my mainstay is media law the diversity of our practice presents a variety of opportunities. My recent heavy involvement in a commercial law case centring on an unfair prejudice claim against our client, as well as having the opportunity to work with the International law team on a high-profile international arbitration matter, exemplifies this. Additionally, our internal team structures offer unique benefits when it comes to opportunities for juniors at all levels, even trainees and paralegals, to work closely with Partners, benefitting from their experience and guidance and gaining invaluable experience and responsibility.

    Daily life as a media lawyer requires good time management and communication skills. These are key. Any one Associate will be working across multiple matters, with different partners, balancing client expectations and court deadlines. In litigation, deadlines are mostly set by the court, and although extensions can be obtained in certain situations, often they are immovable. On media matters, at pre-publication stage, my schedule can be dictated to some extent by the media’s publication deadlines, which can be unpredictable. We might get an enquiry on a new matter on a Thursday or Friday to which we need to respond within a short timeframe ahead of a weekend publication deadline.

    As with all law, the media law landscape is an evolving one and so it is also important to keep up to date with case law. The media law blog Inforrm provides great insight and updates on cases and current issues in the field. Barristers’ chambers like 5RB and Matrix, with which we work closely, also publish regular case updates and host conferences and roundtable events which encourage active discussion on case law and developments within our practice areas. These types of events are invaluable for junior lawyers to forge connections within the profession.

    Defamation law cases have traditionally involved individuals challenging print media publications over allegations about them that they contend are untrue, not in the public interest, private and/or confidential and causing harm to their reputation. The legal landscape has had to expand and evolve in response to the internet and the consequential boom of publication of material online (both by traditional media and, increasingly, by the general public). It remains the case (by virtue of them being of interest to the public) that legal complaints often still involve high profile individuals, from celebrities to politicians, about whom something has been published which cases serious harm to their reputation. When these cases go to trial they often attract significant press coverage. The recent “Wagatha Christie” case transcended the media law legal circles and became a topic of national interest and debate. Unusually, I found I was being asked for my professional view by family, friends and even acquaintances on what had by then turned into an almost globally talked about trial. The same was true with the Depp trials.

    Ordinarily when litigation is brought, this means the case and key information about it, including the parties’ names and the basis of the claim and any defence, are put on the court record which means that that information becomes publicly available. Any court hearings and the trial are usually held in public, which is consistent with the “open justice” principles we have in this country. However, some of our cases involve private and confidential information, which can require deviation from the usual open justice principles. This can mean that even the identities of the parties are protected (usually through anonymised ciphers), let alone details of the private information itself, as further dissemination of that information is likely to harm the parties and/or undermine the case. This can be the case even if the matters involve high profile individuals and court hearings, although it is up the court to decide what measures it considers proportionate in the circumstances, which will involve it balancing the competing rights of the parties and also what is in the interests of the public.

    In recent times, social media has become a source of information and news for many of the population in competition with traditional print media. The democratisation of social media allows anyone to become a commentator or ‘citizen journalist’. However, while trained journalists might be expected to take a course in legal issues journalists face, such as defamation and privacy law and data protection, and the steps they need to take to ensure that their work is responsible and legally defensible and avoids infringing other people’s rights, no such tests apply to the populations of Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. The recent Online Safety Act tries to grapple with some of these issues in its creation of new communications offences aimed at those sending false or threatening messages online or encouraging self-harm. In addition, case law enables the law to evolve and adapt as society changes.

    AI is the latest frontier, with its impact on various industries, including law, being a topic of much debate. In some industries, the use of generative AI technology looks likely to be game changing, but while its abilities are undoubtedly impressive, it has also already courted controversy. There has been more than one instance where generative AI has won a photography or art prize, which has caused some debate around the threat it poses to those trying to make a livelihood as a creative. As lawyers, in addition to our professional obligations of confidence, we have obligations and duties of honesty. Generative AI’s ability to have “hallucinations” (i.e. create new information that is false, which it can attribute wrongly to a source or insist is correct) makes it necessary to treat the technology with a high degree of caution. I think this is a particular concern for lawyers, where we need to be certain of the veracity of the information we are presenting. There is also the risk that using generative AI could breach duties of confidentiality where the information provided to the platform might be accessible to the platform provider. It raises extremely interesting questions from a media law perspective as well. If hallucinations involve false and defamatory allegations against individuals, which they repeat to multiple users, this raises questions as to whether ChatGPT could be held liable for defamation. One such case has already been brought in Florida by a radio host called Mark Walters whom ChatGPT alleged, falsely, had committed financial crimes. It is very much a case of ‘watch this space’ in the world of ‘AI Law’.

    Looking ahead, the fast-changing world in which we inhabit will require an ever changing and evolving legal system. This shifting legal landscape offers lawyers the opportunity to shape and adapt our legal system to keep pace with societal and technological advancements, which is quite something to be a part of. Perhaps I should lead with that next time I am asked ‘What do you do?”…

     

     

     

  • An interview with legendary barrister Khawar Qureshi KC

    Christopher Jackson

    Of all the things that can happen to you career-wise, to be born with the suspicion that you’d like to be a lawyer is one of the more benign developments imaginable. Salary expectations are good – and if you’re interested in legal problem-solving the work has the potential to be reliably interesting.

    There are other boons: for instance, there are reliable entry routes thanks to a highly regulated profession; later on there will be clear career progression – whether it be through to QC if you select the barrister route, or through to partner if you opt to be a solicitor.

    But a legal career also . Many students suspect the legal profession might be for them, but can’t initially decide whether they would prefer the essentially theatrical life of a barrister in court, or the weaving behind the scenes which tends to be the lot of the solicitor. Then once you decide that, there’s the further question of which areas to specialise in.

    Kuawar Qureshi is, without doubt, one of the world’s leading advocates, and therefore well-placed to answer questions Finito World readers will have about this area. In person he has a powerful quality – a sense of intellectual strength hits you rightaway – and there is also a sort of physical robustness, a leonine nimbleness, suggestive of someone who has been on their feet for much of their career. In this respect, barristers resemble orchestra conductors.

    The advocate has had a busy year, and now opened the London office of McNair International in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. The launch of this was a fine event, including a lecture by the revered Judge Abdulqawi Yusuf, a Judge of the International Court of Justice and its former President until 2021 on ‘Why International Law Matters’.

    So what does Qureshi most think is required to be a success in court? Qureshi doesn’t miss a beat: “In all walks of life where we assume responsibility for others, there must always be clarity and conviction to do the very best.” And what does this mean when it comes to the reality of being an advocate? “As an advocate this means being able to assimilate information rapidly and assessing how best to convey the same to the specific audience – whether it be the International Court of Justice, millions of people watching a live broadcast of a politically charged case, an arbitral tribunal determining a multi-billion dollar claim by a commercial entity against a State, or a domestic Court dealing with sensitive intelligence information. It has been an honour and privilege for me over the course of my career to undertake hundreds of case for parties all over the world- including these types of matters.”

    So what does Qureshi have to say to young people on the perennial question of solicitor or barrister? “In essence, the Barrister who wishes to excel as an advocate must be highly self-reliant, be prepared to work exceptionally hard, enjoy and be stimulated by the prospect of unravelling complex factual and legal issues, so as to convey a case clearly and persuasively,” explains Qureshi. He adds: “No Barrister can work effectively without an effective team and trust based approach with Solicitors who they work with. Solicitors work in firms and receive salaries, equity partners receiving profits from the firm. Barristers work from case to case.”

    Qureshi’s case load is extraordinary: to talk with him is to be given numerous asides about matters which have just left his desk, or which are currently being dealt with. These matters all have in common, you sense, their enviability if one were a barrister, and their likely bewildering complexity if you’re not. To be in Qureshi’s company is to get a glimpse onto an expertise whose enormity you can’t fathom: it’s like being in the company of a grandmaster chess player.

    So what has he learned from dealing with governments worldwide? “I have acted for the UK Government  on hundreds of complex and sensitive matters as an “A” Panel Treasury Counsel from 1999-2006 before taking Silk. I have also represented the USA, the Russian Federation, India as well as states such as Kazakhstan, Zambia  and been involved in matters for or against around 70 States in total. Advising and representing any Government is a great honour but comes with considerably more responsibility, as there is always a significant political element and the practical litigation insight available to sophisticated commercial parties may not always be present.”

    For someone as gifted as Qureshi one might have assumed that he would consider a judicial career, but in fact he isn’t presently considering it. “I enjoy advocacy in complex and challenging cases first and foremost. I enjoy the diversity of work that I am able to undertake for States and clients from all over the world embracing International Law, Arbitration, Commercial Litigation and Fraud/Regulatory matters. Just recently, I have undertaken a case before the High Court of Kenya for the DPP of Kenya against the Deputy Chief Justice of Kenya – the first time an English Silk was instructed to appear before the Courts of Kenya since independence in 1963. I had previously acted for a foreign investor against Kenya.”

    So what in his opinion makes a good judge? Qureshi says: “A good Judge is open-minded, fair and possessed of sound judgment, expertise, integrity and intellect as required to determine difficult issues – all to ensure that justice is done and the rule of law is always upheld.”

    So what is it ultimately which drives him in his career. Qureshi, who is plainly possessed of an unusually omnivorous intellect, talks about the way in which information’s flow has changed during the course of his  “Whereas when I started, hard copy books were the norm, it is a  rare treat (unfortunately) to visit a law library. There is now so much more information available through high-speed internet. The challenge is to be able to filter what is credible and relevant.”

    In which direction does he think the law is currently headed? “Unfortunately, as legal practice has become more “business-like” due to influences that have seeped in, it is sadly increasingly rare to see “justice” and “the rule of law” as the touchstones for legal work (save, some might say, when lip service is being paid to them or for “optics”). This is a very unfortunate trend which universities, the legal profession, Judges and politicians have a responsibility to address. Legal practice is not a business in the conventional sense which it seems to be increasingly conforming to. Legal practice should always serve to promote human existence and interaction in a manner which protects the weak and vulnerable, not rewarding or being blind to the transgressions of  the strong and powerful. Society at large will be much the worse if this trend is not arrested.”

    It’s impossible not to be inspired by Qureshi’s new venture. So what’s the story behind the new venture? “I strongly believe that International Commercial lawyers who are like minded and share a passion for Law, Justice and enjoy undertaking challenging as well as stimulating work derive greater strength when they come together. McNair International exists to serve that purpose – for individuals from all over the world. I am delighted to have been given the responsibility to continue to take McNair International forward.” And meeting him, you’re left in no doubt that he will.