Our people

I joined Clifford Chance in January 2014 after I finished my legal traineeship (Referendariat) in Germany. I studied at the University of Trier and the University of Münster (Germany), where I graduated in Tax Law. I also completed an LL.M in Corporate & Commercial Law at the University of Technology Sydney (Australia).

Why I joined

What attracted me the most was the international reputation and profile of the firm, in particular the Luxembourg office located in the centre of Europe with the second largest fund industry in the world. During my interview with a former partner and senior associate I could feel the friendly and open-minded culture of the firm. When I got the offer to become a part of Clifford Chance as a lawyer (Rechtsanwalt), I did not hesitate to accept such an opportunity.

The best thing about my job

What I like the most about my job is the variety of challenging tasks on a daily basis. Urgent requests are quite normal so you learn to set the right priorities and work efficiently. Every day is different as the work is never the same. In my role as senior lawyer I mostly enjoy working and training younger colleagues to help them grow. It makes my life easier and I can  watch their growth and progress in becoming an important part of the team.

What continues to engage me

I can honestly say that it is the firm's spirit, to meet the highest demands of our clients combined with my very friendly, open-minded and helpful colleagues. This creates a great atmosphere and very exciting environment to work in.

The work

After more than seven years in the Investment Funds Team, I have a strong and growing client base in the real estate sector. Often, one of my clients gets the opportunity to acquire a profitable portfolio or real estate asset in a very limited period of time. When this happens, we have to react immediately and give our full attention to the structuring and set-up of a suitable fund vehicle. Using the excellent Clifford Chance network, involving our teams in globally for example Germany, the UK and the US, to cover every detail in such a process makes it really interesting.

My advice

From my own experience, I can give you the following advice that might help you developing and evolving as a lawyer and a person; listen to and learn from your senior colleagues, be prepared before you go into a meeting or discussion, work diligent as if your work would be seen by the client without being reviewed by a senior colleague, ask questions if something is unclear and, most importantly, don't be phased by the challenging demands as they will you make better!