What do you think the Ealing Law School's (now the School of Law at UWL) strengths were as a law school in terms of providing a foundation for your career?
My class felt extremely cosmopolitan as there were a lot of students from Africa and Asia. As someone who had been one of three non-white people in my secondary school, it was refreshing to be in a more mixed environment. I have spent my career building an international clientele and I feel that the international environment I found myself in at Ealing stimulated this.
I enjoyed the independent thinking and lifestyle at college; beyond the pressures of exams there was very little demand on your time. Back then, one didn’t worry about getting a job; you just assumed something would come along when you finished your studies, so there wasn’t the same sort of pressure that you see today.
I really feel that one of, if not the biggest, strengths of the School was the people. The staff were all extremely enthusiastic and, despite not practicing in areas such as family and criminal law, I can remember a lot, which I think is a reflection on the quality of the teaching. My cohort were also a nice bunch and we got on extremely well. I spent a lot of time at Ealing honing my table tennis skills.
What is the most important or significant thing you learnt during your time here?
I think the most important thing I learnt was how to get on with different people. The legal profession is a service industry and you have to enjoy meeting people if you want to get on. My client base is extremely international and I have had to learn to understand the nuances of other cultures. That my class at college were from such a broad base of backgrounds really helped me to develop the ability to understand how culture shapes on how people interact and do business.
What is your abiding memory of your time at Ealing Law School?
I came to University straight from school and was expecting most of my class to be in a similar position. When I got to Ealing Law School I found that a lot of my cohort were mature students and I therefore felt and looked extremely young alongside them. I was still calling people sir and madam like I was at school, whilst my peers seemed much more at ease with themselves and their surroundings.