What was your route into the profession?
There was certainly no grand master plan. I studied international history and international politics at university, largely because I had no real idea what I wanted to do when I 'grew up'. After that came a (not untypical) year of travelling and figuring out my next steps. I then found myself and—I really can’t recall the exact thought process—enrolled on the postgraduate law conversion course, apparently having decided to become a lawyer. I presume I made that decision because I thought I'd be good at analysing and solving problems. Either way, it's a decision that has now led me to the sunny shores of Bermuda, so I certainly don't regret it.
What has been your biggest career challenge so far?
I have found that each stage of my career has brought its own challenges—from those initial scary days of being a newly qualified lawyer and feeling (wrongly) that I was now expected to know everything about being an employment lawyer, to rising through the ranks and finding myself taking on the leadership of a large team at the same time as running an all-consuming 24/7 client project affecting tens of thousands of employees.
For now, making the decision to leave a great team at Shoosmiths, where I spent many happy years, and move to Bermuda to build an employment practice here at Walkers in a completely different jurisdiction is a hugely exciting challenge.
Which person within the legal profession inspires you most?
Rather than point to a specific individual, I would say I'm most inspired by those colleagues I have worked with over the years who stay calm during the busy, stressful times and continue to treat everyone with courtesy and find time to mentor and offer guidance. Those people who will always do what's needed to deliver for their clients and their teammates, yet still manage to keep the job in a healthy perspective.
If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you choose as an alternate career?
I would have liked to be a psychologist of some sort—I've always been interested in understanding how and why people behave and react in certain ways. That might explain why I chose to specialise in employment law. The advice that good employment lawyers deliver to clients invariably needs to factor in emotional intelligence and how the affected individuals are likely to react, just as much as navigating the relevant legal context. Either that or a professional footballer, obviously.
Who is your favourite fictional lawyer?
It's difficult to say anyone other than Atticus Finch, isn't it? Principled and inspirational. Although, at the other end of the scale, a mention for Harvey Specter from Suits for his astonishing, some might say unbelievable, ability to be an expert in every possible area of law (sometimes all on the same day).
What change would you make to the profession?
If I'm honest, I've never really understood the legal sector's approach to how we train and develop junior lawyers. As an industry, we promote junior lawyers largely based on their billings and legal ability; however when they reach the senior ranks and partnership, they are expected to become salespeople, strategists, managers and leaders of people—and not all are equipped to do it. I would suggest that there is a responsibility to try to instil and develop those sorts of skills in junior lawyers at a much earlier stage. Some firms already do this, and do it well—but certainly not all.
How do you relax?
Running. Hacking my way around a golf course (I gave the game up for a number of years and I've recently remembered why). Reading—especially 20th century political history. I also find being next to the sea instantly relaxing—so moving to a small island with 60 miles of coastline is a touch fortunate.
Nick Vernon, employment partner at Walkers in Bermuda.
