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01 April 2019
Categories: Movers & Shakers , Profession
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NLJ PROFILE: Zoe O'Sullivan QC

Barrister Zoe O'Sullivan QC, who recently joined Serle Court Chambers, tells NLJ where her love of words has taken her

What was your route into the profession?

I read English at Oxford University. Having decided that I would enjoy a career involving words, I initially flirted with becoming a solicitor before deciding to apply for the law conversion course at City University. After City, I completed my Bar finals and moved straight on to pupillage and tenancy at One Essex Court, where I remained until my move to Serle Court Chambers in March 2019.

What has been your biggest career challenge so far?

On returning to work after having my third child, I was instructed as part of the counsel team in a huge IT case, BSkyB Ltd and another v HP Enterprise Services UK Ltd (formerly Electronic Data Systems Ltd) and others [2010] EWHC 86 (TCC), which occupied a whole year of court time in the Technology and Construction Court. I had to work most weekends and holidays while caring for three very small children (with the help of my long-suffering husband).  However, I did develop my experience into a successful IT practice.

Which person within the legal profession inspires you most?

I am simply in awe of Dinah Rose QC of Blackstone Chambers, who seems to be incapable of losing a case.

If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you choose as an alternate career?

Senior management at John Lewis, my favourite shop.

Who is your favourite fictional lawyer?

Chuck Rhoades Jr in the TV series Billions.

What change would you make to the profession?

I would move away from billing by the hour, which encourages inefficiency and makes young lawyers miserable.

How do you relax?

I sing with the Bach Choir, and dance the Argentine tango badly.

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NEWS

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
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