What was your route into the profession?
Law and diplomacy run in the family. My father's side has produced several lawyers, including Sir Anthony Plowman, who was a distinguished judge who ended his career as Vice-Chancellor of the Chancery Division. My father's career in UK government, including as a Foreign & Commonwealth Office diplomat, took us to Brussels as a family. I went on to read French and Spanish at the University of Birmingham, which brought opportunities to study in Paris and Buenos Aires, as well as a year of volunteering in Mexico. Those early experiences gave me an early appreciation for the law industry and confidence operating across borders.
I subsequently converted to law and joined Mishcon de Reya as a trainee in 2003. I’ve been here ever since, progressing through the ranks to partner and, most recently, chair of disputes.
What has been your biggest career challenge so far?
Becoming chair of disputes at Mishcon de Reya in 2023, and at the time being the youngest member of the firm's management board. Leading a few hundred litigators through a period of geopolitical turmoil and technological disruption, coupled with an ambitious growth strategy to build Mishcon's ‘Disputes Powerhouse’, has been challenging—and the learning curve hasn't flattened out yet.
Next year, I'm off to Harvard Law School's Leadership in Law Firms programme. I’m particularly looking forward to learning from peers at other firms who are grappling with many of the same challenges and bringing some fresh perspectives back to Mishcon.
Which person within the legal profession inspires you most?
I've been fortunate enough to have had two outstanding mentors at Mishcon. Dan Morrison guided me through my first decade at the firm. He now runs his own Mayfair boutique and remains a good friend—although we occasionally find ourselves on opposite sides of a case.
For the following decade, I was mentored by Kas Nouroozi, whose bag I carried, both figuratively and occasionally literally, across the globe on politically charged fraud and corruption cases—some of which could be the subject matter of the next John Grisham novel.
Both have had an enormous influence over my career, shaping not only how I approach my practice, but also how I try to support the next generation of litigators that is coming through.
If you weren't a lawyer, what would you choose as an alternative career?
Think Clarkson’s Farm, but without the politics or media interest and on a much smaller, less chaotic scale. There is something appealing about taking a step away from the desk job and what remains of the billable hour, and into rural life.
Who is your favourite fictional lawyer?
Tom Cruise’s character in A Few Good Men. A masterclass in never asking a question unless you already know Jack Nicholson is about to lose his temper and hand you the answer that wins the case.
What change would you make to the profession?
I’d like to see much closer collaboration between public and private sector professionals fighting fraud, which remains the UK's most prevalent crime and costs the economy billions each year.
The opportunity to work together more effectively is staring us in the face; what's missing is the political will to make it happen.
At a recent International Fraud Group meeting in Copenhagen, we heard some encouraging thinking from an OECD keynote speaker on building that collaboration. Now it's up to politicians and professionals on both sides to close the gap between our different approaches and priorities, and to turn those ideas into meaningful action.
How do you relax?
We’re typically kept busy with three boys at home, but when I do get some downtime, you’ll usually find me not far from a BBQ, whatever the weather. Failing that, I might be fishing with friends somewhere remote, preferably without phone signal.
Hugo Plowman is partner, chair of dispute resolution & strategy lead for disputes on the management board at Mishcon de Reya.
