PARTNER INTERVIEW Flashcards
What was your favourite module you studied at university and why?
I’d have to say it was my Company Law module for two main reasons:
1) It was most relevant to what I want to do in my career
- It allowed me to learn about common issues and risks facing large public companies
- For instance, I enjoyed studying the Corporate Finance unit as it went through the specific rules under the City Code. As such, it made be better grasp how corporate lawyers navigate corporate buyers or sellers through such processes
2) I found it interesting as it touched upon broader political, social and commercial issues
- Indeed, it allowed me to critically analyse contemporary issues raised by company law and the policy behind it
- One notable example that springs to mind was the debate around whether under s.172 of the Companies Act 2006, directors should purely have regard to wealth maximisation for shareholders or other constituencies / stakeholders
What are some specific rules in the takeover regime?
The ‘put or shut up principle’ (rule 2.6)
- This provides that following an announcement of an offer is made, the bidder has a 28-day deadline to either commit to the bid or withdraw
- If the bidder withdraws, they cannot approach the seller for a period of 6 months
- This is to prevent destablising the target’s board through successive offers and market uncertainty
The ‘no frustration rule’ (rule 21.1a)
- Once a prospective buyer has made an offer, the board cannot do any action which has the effect of denying the shareholders the opportunity to assess the merits of the acquisition
- Permissible defensive tactics include: persuading shareholders that the acquisition is not in their best interests; persuading competition authorities that the deal should not go through; encouraging a white knight to acquire the company
- Cannot swallow a Poison Pill - where the company encourages shareholders to acquire shares at a discount, diluting ownership to unacceptable levels
‘Protection of minority shareholders (rule 9.1)
- Once the shareholding of a bidder exceeds 30%, the bidder must make an offer to all shareholders
- Being forced to make an offer to all shareholders can impose serious financial implications on the bidder
Surely all companies should be run for the benefit of their shareholders?
- Well, I agree. However, in order to ensure maximum wealth creation, companies should have regard to other stakeholders given that they rely on these constituencies heavily in today’s day and age.
- Indeed, companies face the risk of shareholder activism, reputational harm and even legal risks related to employee treatment and the environment.
- Accordingly, it is a more sustainable wealth maximisation model for companies to pay regard to other stakeholders as shareholders
Why were you not able to convert your vacation schemes?
Travers Smith
- As my first scheme, it was a learning curve and like many other students on their first scheme, they do not always perform their best
- However, I definitely recognised areas for improvement which propelled my applications going forward, allowing me to secure Jones Day
White & Case
- As this was a reward for coming in third place in BIUCAC, it was not a direct route to a TC
Jones Day
- As for Jones Day, I recognise that as a non-Russell group candidate, it was a huge achievement getting there - as a matter of fact I was the only one on the scheme
- Additionally, they took on very few trainees from their spring scheme
- Nonetheless, I value the experience gained and received some really good feedback to enable me to improve
Why did you only get AAC?
During the final year of my A-level studies, my sister’s substance use disorder became increasingly unstable and she passed away a few months before my summer exams.
Throughout the year, I missed over 25% of lessons due to frequent hospital visits, caring for her three young daughters and funeral arrangements.
As such, I decided to defer my studies for a year and teach myself the material I missed whilst in Egypt. However, on my return to the UK the pandemic was in full swing and exams cancelled and replaced with teacher assessed grades based on work submitted in the previous year when my attendance was compromised.
A bulk of the missed lessons related to my English Lit grade, such as missed mock exams, end of unit tests and general curriculum material which made it difficult for my sixth form to justify giving me my predicted grades of three As.
However, despite this, I went on to achieve excellence in my degree studies, scoring a high first class.
Why did you chose Leicester to study at?
Because of my sister’s passing and my resultant lower grades, I did not get into my preferred universities. Accordingly, I had to go through clearing and make a careful choice about where to study. One main reason drew me to select Leicester:
- Wanted to study at a reputable non-Russell group uni
- I knew at this point in clearing that I would not be able to secure a spot at a Russell group uni
- However, Leicester kept coming up in my research as a reputable university for law out of the non-Russell group universities
- Furthermore, Michael Craig - an associate within S&M disputes team - studied at Leicester and there is a video of him on the Law School’s website
- From this, I knew that studying at Leicester would give me the best opportunity to secure a position at a top UK law firm
I enjoyed my time at Leicester and am proud to be an alumni. I achieved excellent results and bolstered my employability
This whole process also taught me to be more resilient and driven - to thrive with the cards I was dealt
Why did you pick your third-year modules?
Two main reasons:
1) I wanted to study topics that were relevant to what I wanted to pursue
- By second year, I knew positively that I wanted to pursue a career in commercial law
- Accordingly, I decided to select modules that were the most relevant to what I will be doing in my career to gain an understanding of the legal issues facing commercial actors, especially as it related to corporate law and disputes
2) I had an interest in studying these modules
- I spoke to many third years whilst in my second year to try and get a flavour for what the third year modules entailed
- It became apparent that I would enjoy studying these modules given they were challenging and commercially relevant and I knew that something I enjoyed studying, I would end up performing better
- And this strategy worked, evident by me finishing my third year with a high first class
Why should we hire you?
For three reasons:
1) I am resilient and driven
- I have regularly balanced two employment roles with multiple positions of responsibility along with my academic workload
- Moreover, as a first-generation university attendee from a low income background who worked throughout term time to support my family, I have had to work exceptionally hard to achieve academic excellence and boost my employability
- As a trainee, therefore, I will be committed to delivering exceptional results for clients and the firm and be able to manage demanding workloads and weighted priorities to meet client expectations and deadlines
2) Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Frequently interacted with others on the Leicester Law Society and Pro Bono committees
- Moreover, in my current roles, I frequently have to translate complex legal rules and concepts along with nutritional information to provide members and customers practical advice, underscoring my ability to communicate effectively
- Therefore, as a trainee I can connect with effectively with fee earners and clients, and thrive in team settings
3) Commercially aware and curious
- Developing and delivering content on various commercial topics, including financing, derivatives and securitisation at WD, FCL and as Commercial Awareness Director within my Law Soc demonstrates my ability to comprehend complex business topics
- Moreover, having finished third in BIUCAC - one of the largest commercial awareness competitions attracting over 2,000 contestants - underscores my ability navigate intricate business scenarios with sharp commercial reasoning
- As a trainee, I can leverage this to stay abreast of trends affecting clients and read around matters being worked on to continue delivering that commercial advice clients expect
Why did you get a low grade in your Company Law and Commercial Property modules?
Company Law
- During my final year, I focused on securing as many internships and firm experiences and wanted to bolster my existing skills through extracurriculars
- Securing these experiences were time intensive, especially in my role as Commercial Awareness Director, given that I was delivering weekly presentations and newsletters
- However, if anything it shows my ability to juggle weighted commitments and still achieve excellence given that I scored highly in Company Law
Commercial Property
- Although 75% of my grade was an exam, a part of the assessment was group-based, so I did not have complete control over my overall grade
- Whilst we worked very well together, some on my team just did not commit at the same level and there’s only so much you can do
- In any case, I still think the grade I graduated with, just like company law, was a high grade and demonstrated my hard work and understanding of the module
Why did you not apply to Oxbridge?
I had applied to Cambridge but unfortunately my grades at GCSE and A-levels were just not strong enough
However, I do not regret studying at Leicester. Although, I would have preferred to study at Cambridge, my experiences navigating the cards I was dealt with demonstrates my resilience and drive to continue strive for excellence
Why did you pick your A-level subjects?
Two main reasons:
1) Enjoyed studying them at GCSE and was interested in Psychology
- My favourite subject during my GCSE studies was History, and I found in particular the unit on the World Wars and the fall of Weimar Germany and the rise of fall of Nazi Germany
- I also enjoyed Eng Lit and the texts I was going to study at A-level, such as Emily Bronte’s The Wuthering Heights and Orwell’s 1984
- As for Psychology, I have always been interested in learning about human behaviours
2) I wanted to study subjects that sharpened my existing skills
- I knew that these subjects would improve my writing, analytical and problem solving skills given that I would be pulling out focused information from large pieces of text, analysing them and coming up with arguments and conclusions from this
What do you do in your spare time?
I tend to spend my spare time exploring art forms, in the gym or with friends and family in the kitchen!
1) Gaming and reading
- I enjoy spending time in the digital space gaming as I find the thrill of completing a game with a complex narrative arc, challenging player choices and vivid world designs exciting
- Furthermore, I am an avid reader and read every day. I am currently reading through Camus’ works, including The Fall, The Stranger and The Plague
2) Gym
- I like to challenge myself and stay fit by going to the gym 5x a week
- I tend to go with friends or my sisters, and consistently aim to surpass my personal records and motivate my friends and family to do the same
- Furthermore, physical activity has not only kept me fit but mentally sharp to boost my productivity at work
3) Spending time with friends and family in exploring new recipes and cuisines
- Whilst my skills in the kitchen are lacking, I enjoy spending time with friends trying new recipes
- Whilst at uni, my mother taught me the art of filling and rolling vine leaves - known as Warek Enab - a well-known Egyptian dish
- My previous employer taught me the Greek version - Dolmades - a milder but flavourful alternative
- I enjoyed recreating both with varying degrees of success whilst away from home at uni with friends
What is one criticism friends would level at you?
In the past, I think friends would criticise me for struggling to let go and delegate effectively.
I always strive for perfection and work very hard so I used to get extremely disappointed that not everyone is as committed as me or had the same desire for excellence on a task.
Accordingly, I would burden myself with additional workloads and stress, by taking work off others and doing it myself.
However, having recognised that this was definitely not productive and also not an effective way to work with others, I gradually became better at letting go and adjusted my mindset. I realised that not everyone can commit to a task and that is fine.
Rather than taking work off them, I now reach out to help by providing resources and tips to empower them to complete the task to a high standard.
In doing so, I have become much more productive and reduced my stress.
Provide an example of a time you had to build a relationship with someone you disagreed with.
S - Second year as Sols Rep, just come out of the pandemic and the committee wanted almost all events to be in person for the academic year
T - I did not agree with this given we had a large international student population on campus that could not attend in-person events due to travel restrictions and a lot of law firms were more comfortable with online events. Accordingly, I had to persuade the committee to come to a compromise
A - Explained to the committee my concerns and offered a compromise to have events in person but recorded and when necessary to host online events (when law firms, for eg, could only join online)
R - It was not easy to persuade the committee given that they all felt attendance was poor toward the end of the previous year because online events were just not as engaging. However, with a compromise to have events recorded for our international students, I was able to convince the committee to soften their stance on virtual events
R - Displays my ability to persuade and negotiate with others that disagree with me. Furthermore, it shows that I can think of compromises to facilitate agreements.
If you were the PM, what law would you introduce?
Based off my experiences, and those of my close peers from similarly socially mobile backgrounds, I would make it mandatory for financial literacy to be taught at primary and secondary level across England. I appreciate that under the Education Act 2002, the Secretary of State for Education is required to set out a Progamme of Study, I think given the importance of the curriculum, an Act of Parliament should be passed to set a foundation of what should be taught in England that cannot be changed by whim with every change of Secretary of State. This should include financial literacy.
Currently financial literacy is included in secondary schools only, but is not something that I came across during my studies and the research indicates that two-thirds of young adults do not recall receiving financial education at school.
Whilst I appreciate the arguments against mandating financial literacy in schools, such as that it should be the responsibility of parents to educate their children about personal life choices, there are three main arguments why I believe we should introduce it:
1) Whilst I agree that it is the responsibility to educate children about finances, not every parent has the same level of financial literacy
- Indeed, studies show that 2 in 5 of young adults are considered financially literate
- Accordingly, by mandating it in schools, children will be at a level playing field in terms of knowledge about budgeting, how to use debt safely and common financial products, like insurance, savings and pensions
2) Empowers individuals to improve their financial health, which can bring more people out of poverty
- 29% of young adults have missed three or more debt repayments and there is a record 6.7 m individuals in financial difficulty
- Financial literacy will inevitably enable young adults to make better financial choices, be less likely to default on debt and achieve higher credit scores
- As such, this would wean people off government help and reduce the burden on the state
3) Bolsters consumer awareness
- Financial literacy will help individuals become savvy consumers, teaching them how to evaluate financial products, compare prices and ultimately make sound purchasing decisions
- As a result, this will shield a greater number of individuals from falling foul of scams
