On the market: “It has been a very good year so far. The beginning of this year is showing better results than the start of last year. M&A and other work such as IPOs, banking and structured finance have been strong. The European and Asian markets have been better than the US for law firms.”

On international strategy: “Global reach is becoming more and more relevant. Quality across the board and being close to the client are what makes you successful. Smaller specialist firms will come and go; larger commercial firms will stay. Freshfields differentiates itself by being global and by the breadth of its services, and to a degree its size and strength.”