What personal qualities do you have that would make you a successful lawyer
What international experience do you have? (for example - working, living or studying abroad, excluding holidays) (500 words max)*
I have lived in [country] and [country] before coming to the UK. As a result, I speak [language] and [language] and have a good knowledge of the [language] and [language] cultures. I have gained very good international experience whilst working as a paralegal for the past two years. At [law firm], I was a central port of contact for a [language] client, which required me to constantly liaise with the client and accompany them to overseas meetings. For example, I have attended a board of directors extraordinary general meeting in Amsterdam in my capacity as an interpreter. During this meeting, I have gained a very good insight in how different jurisdictions affect a client’s position and have developed my ability to work in diverse and international teams. At [law firm] , I was very closely involved in a high-profile dispute between two [language] high-net-worth individuals. During this case, I have liaised very closely with the firm’s [city] office whilst conducting a document review and drafting witness statements. I have also travelled to France to assist at a meeting with a witness. At present, I am working on a [language] banking matter at [law firm] during which I have received a very good exposure to international issues. I regularly participated in conference calls with international solicitors and clients. I was vested with responsibility of dealing with [language] and [language] aspects of the case such as translating documents, researching [language] and [language] law and helped to draft our submissions and chronologies. My international experience during my employment has enhanced my ability to operate on most difficult problems on an international platform and bring new perspectives to the table. This has developed my ability to forge personal and professional relationships with overseas professionals. I have also received a good exposure to different cultures, views and approaches which has broadened my mind and allowed me to think more laterally.
What is your greatest achievement? Why do you consider it significant? (100 words max)*
Recently, I established a company in the entertainment industry, which provides innovative and cutting-edge solutions to clients across the UK. This is my greatest achievement because I managed to successfully implement my commercial knowledge acquired during my employment and studies. I am very proud of this achievement because when I started the company, I was thrown at the deep end and had to think laterally to make important business decisions in a quick-paced and highly competitive environment.
What personal qualities do you have that would make you a successful lawyer at Norton Rose Fulbright? (200 words max)*
I possess commercial acumen and strong problem solving skills which will provide me with knowledge of the clients’ businesses and the industry they operate in which allow me to work on their most complex problems and produce pragmatic solutions.
I have very good attention to detail and organisational skills, which will enable me to prioritise between different tasks to meet competing deadlines and complete all my work to the highest standard.
I am a good team player and have an ability to express my ideas in a simple and understandable manner.
I am very enthusiastic, entrepreneurial and focused which will allow me to bring new perspectives to the table and use my initiative to add value to my work.
I possess good client-facing skills through which I will be able to deliver a good client service and work with the client to understand their business, objectives and legal requirements.
Commitment is key to our work: to what are you most committed? (100 words max)*
At present, I am very committed to my work at [law firm] and always undertake it with the highest level of focus and dedication. I constantly show initiative and go beyond what is expected of me because I really enjoy my work and strive on a high level of responsibility as it enables me to enhance my personal skills and provides me with a broader exposure to the cases that I work on.
What motivates you, and why? (100 words max)*
I am motivated by a high level of responsibility over my workload because this allows me to think laterally and develop a personal approach to my work. This in effect helps me to think more creatively and develop new perspectives and approaches to the cases that I work on which is very empowering. I am also very motivated by high quality work because it usually involves difficult issues and presents an opportunity to work in diverse teams which make for an intellectually stimulating environment.
Describe an important business, commercial or economic issue or event which you have read about in the last 30 days. Of the relevant stakeholders involved, pick one and describe what you would have advised them to do differently. (200 words max)*
I have read about the trade dispute between the EU and China in relation to solar panels and French Wine. The EU imposed tariffs on solar panels imported from China because it believes that Chinese solar panels are being dumped on the European market, costing thousands of job losses in Europe in recent years. The Chinese government provided unfair subsidies to Chinese solar panel producers, which has enabled Chinese solar panel makers to severely undercut its European counterparts by selling solar panels below the production costs. In effect, this has stymied competition in the EU as the European producers are unable to absorb the losses and have been compelled to pass on the cost to the consumers. In response, China said that it would start an anti-dumping probe into the European winemaking subsidies and luxury car imports from the EU. I would have advised the European Union to hold talks with the Chinese before imposing the tariffs on the solar panels because this would have helped to prevent the escalation of the trade war which can have serious repercussions on the European economy, especially when China seems to be an important country for European exports.
Describe what you think is one of the most important global economic issues facing the world. What implications might it have for Norton Rose Fulbright’s practice over the short term and the long term? (250 words max)*
The rise of emerging markets (traditionally Brazil, [country], India, and China) is an important global economic issue, because these markets are reshaping the global economy and, more gradually, international politics. Growing much faster than the rest of the world, these economies are changing the structure of international production and trade, the nature and direction of capital flows, and the patterns of natural resource consumption. Securing a strong base in these countries will be critical for investors seeking growth beyond the established Western economies. In the short term, this will present Norton Rose Fulbright with opportunities for growth as it will be able to utilise its strong international capabilities to provide seamless legal advice in relation to investments to and from emerging markets. However, Norton Rose Fulbright will have to acquire local market knowledge or form partnerships with local firms in order to understand how emerging markets operate in order to devise seamless and effective solutions to their clients. In the long term, Norton Rose Fulbright is likely to face fierce competition from local law firms as more and more sophisticated work is increasingly being snapped up by local firms. Norton Rose Fulbright is also likely to experience political, regulatory and other problems in the emerging markets. For instance, India has stringent rules that prohibit foreign law firms from practicing within its borders whereas opening a law firm in [country] is more of a political challenge.
I am entrepreneurial and possess good commercial awareness and organisational skills. Recently, I founded a pioneering business in the entertainment industry which is helping businesses such as restaurants and cafes to restructure their operations to increase their profitability. I am currently managing branches of the business in [area] and [area]. I am a representative of a company specialising in innovative payment systems in the UK and working with businesses in emerging markets to integrate this financial model into their operations. Outside the office hours, I run [sport] sessions at the [law firm] gym which has enhanced my teamwork and leadership skills. At university, I pioneered the University of [university] Amateur [sport] Club for the first time in fifty years and was the president of the society. At university, I helped to develop an innovative initiative to reduce the university’s carbon footprint by switching off all unused desktops during vacation breaks.
