Meet our people

The strong reputation of Penningtons Manches Cooper’s lawyers and promises of an inclusive, friendly culture initially attracted me to the firm and I am pleased to say that everything I had heard before joining in 2018 has proved to be true!

The work we do is interesting, often ground-breaking. I frequently act in modern families cases and am involved in a significant amount of surrogacy work, where it is key to have input from our well-regarded immigration and private client teams. The fact that this is all done in-house means we can provide the client with a holistic and seamless service, which is something the firm prides itself on.

I am a member of the firm’s LGBTQ+ committee, which is going from strength to strength: we have plenty of good plans in the pipeline for the next 12 months. The committee gives me the opportunity to meet with colleagues I might not see in a usual working day and to benefit from their experiences and ideas too.

After completing my A-levels and leaving sixth form, I began my search for a marketing apprenticeship. As someone who learns best through first-hand experience, I preferred this route to a degree course. The opportunity of starting my marketing career in the legal sector at a firm with international reach particularly drew me to Penningtons Manches Cooper.

During my first 17 months here, I spent four days a week in the London office with one day at home to focus on my studies. Throughout my apprenticeship, Penningtons Manches Cooper supported and motivated me, providing me with a thorough grounding in marketing and business development and ultimately offering me a job as a marketing assistant.

Since finishing my formal apprenticeship, I am very much continuing to learn and develop my career. Shortly after I was appointed a marketing assistant, the firm went through a merger, adding several new offices and increasing its service offering. This expansion has required significant input from the business development team and provided excellent experience for me.

Penningtons Manches Cooper offers a highly motivating work environment. I applied to the firm when I was finishing my master’s degree in business and maritime law, attracted by the possibility of being part of a practice which counts shipping lines and maritime insurance companies among its clients. Since then, I am pleased to have worked on numerous cases for organisations of this type, advising on litigation, arbitration salvage proceedings and other maritime matters.

As a result of the merger, I have been given the chance to extend the scope of my practice to other areas which are of interest to me, such as data protection, intellectual property and cyber-insurance. The firm is keen to encourage my development and I am equally keen to learn and progress.

I enjoy the fact that I work closely with colleagues in several other offices within the firm’s network. Everyone is open to ideas and there’s a strong drive to collaborate with each other to achieve the best results for our clients.

Initially I was attracted to Penningtons Manches Cooper due to its reputation for providing high quality training and hands-on experience for its trainees as well as the alignment between my interests and its core practice areas. During the ten years I have spent with the firm, I have also come to value its open and nurturing culture and its commitment to helping employees progress.

As my career has developed, I have been afforded time to learn through doing - and through making mistakes - with my ever approachable supervisors ready to offer guidance when needed. I hope that I provide similar support to the lawyers for whom I am now a mentor.

Recently, Penningtons Manches Cooper’s championing of issues such as sustainability and diversity has been invigorating. While most law firms make noises on these matters, Penningtons Manches Cooper seems genuinely determined to lead the way and, significantly, actively encourages constructive criticism and ideas from its workforce at all levels. I am delighted to be part of such a dynamic and collaborative business.

The firm's well-regarded shipping practice and the opportunities it offers for working aboard were the key drivers behind my decision to apply to train with the London office in 2015. I was particularly keen to return to East Asia to work, having previously spent a number of years living in Hong Kong.

I moved to the Singapore office, which is located in the heart of the business district, as a trainee and qualified there in 2017. While I was based in Asia, I was given the unique opportunity of a two month secondment in Tokyo. At the start of 2020, I moved back to the UK to rejoin the marine, trade and energy team in the London office.

During my time with the firm, I have represented a number of international clients in Singapore and London arbitrations and been involved in a range of shipping disputes. A particular highlight has been gaining experience in the 'wet' side of shipping, having gone on board vessels in the Singapore Strait to take evidence and statements.

Looking back over the time since Penningtons Manches and Thomas Cooper joined forces, I can say without hesitation that the merger has been a success. Speaking from a personal point of view, I am really enjoying the experience of being part of a larger family.

One of the key benefits for the Singapore office has been the ability to plug into the broader offering of the Penningtons Manches Cooper network. This has opened up opportunities for us which, in the past, we would not have had been able to explore. The support from the central services teams has been outstanding as well, particularly in light of the challenges that we are currently facing globally.

I am part of the Singapore and Asia project team and a key area of focus for us is developing the Singapore office beyond the current marine, trade and energy capabilities and taking advantage of our physical footprint to extend the range of services offered by the firm to clients both in Singapore and the wider Asia region. There are certainly exciting times ahead!