Our people

Following a double degree in Irish law and French law at University College Dublin and Paris II Panthéon-Assas, I trained as an English solicitor in Clifford Chance London. I transferred to the Luxembourg office nearly three years ago and have since been promoted to Senior Associate in the Banking, Finance and Capital Markets department. 

Why I joined 

With my background I could have decided to train in a number of different jurisdictions. I completed a vacation scheme in Clifford Chance London and another similar firm after my third year at university, which convinced me to join Clifford Chance London. I was attracted by the diverse mix of people, secondment opportunities, interesting and varied work and the great time I had on the vacation scheme. 

During my training contract at Clifford Chance London I completed seats in Capital Markets and Tax and international secondments in Clifford Chance Frankfurt and Clifford Chance Paris. 

What continues to engage me 

I stay because there is no other job I would rather be doing. I enjoy the high-achieving culture, interesting and challenging work, career opportunities and great people. 

My most rewarding experience so far... 

When I wanted to move to the Luxembourg office, partners from Clifford Chance London and Luxembourg came together to make it happen. Now that I am in Luxembourg, I really enjoy working with colleagues from the London office and other offices who I have come to know over my years spent with the firm, as well as with my Luxembourg colleagues. There is a strong feeling of collegiality between the different offices which makes my job much more rewarding. 

My advice 

I'm a great believer in vacation schemes or internships, but also in taking time out before starting your career – I think the time I spent before starting with Clifford Chance has really stood me in good stead. For example, after spending three months on an organic farm I have zero daydreams of quitting my job to open a stall at a farmers' market! You need to work out what you want. 

The best thing about my job 

I enjoy constantly learning and developing new skills and working with more junior colleagues to help them do the same. 

The recruitment process 

I applied for a vacation scheme with Clifford Chance London. This involved completing a fairly detailed application form, attending an interview and I think also participating in a case study, followed by a tour of the office. During the vacation scheme there was an interview for a training contract. At the end of my training contract I applied to join the Capital Markets team in Clifford Chance London. 

The people 

I was struck by the diverse range of nationalities in Clifford Chance Luxembourg and the mix of languages spoken in the corridors. 

The work 

In 2015 I had the opportunity to go on a client secondment to the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, which was a very positive experience. Since then I have worked with the EIB on various interesting and innovative transactions, including under its 'InnovFin – EU Finance for innovators' programme and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (also known as the Juncker Plan), which was established to boost investment, innovation and job creation in Europe through mobilising private financing.