A Day in the Life of Herbert Smith Freehills' Chris White

In this week’s 'A Day in the Life of...' interview, Herbert Smith Freehills' Chris White provides an insight into his role as an Associate in the Remuneration and Incentives team.

Hi Chris, can you tell us a bit about your role and how you got here?

My role mainly focusses on helping companies manage their share-based payment plans. It involves a mix of transactional work (for example, working out what happens to share options held by employees when a company is taken over) and stand-alone advisory work (which can be anything from designing a new plan to helping clients work through tricky operational issues).

I started off my working life as a French and Spanish teacher in secondary schools and after a few years decided I fancied the challenge of a life in corporate law. It sounds like a big change but there are a surprising number of transferrable skills (such as remaining calm under pressure, explaining complex ideas in an easy-to-understand way, attention to detail, etc).

What does a typical day look like for you?

I'll typically have a list of three or four pieces of work that I want to get done in a day, with some flexibility to move things around if something more urgent comes in. My work could consist of thinking through a client's problem, discussing it with a colleague and drafting a response. It might also involve liaising with colleagues on an M&A transaction to understand how my work interacts with the bigger picture or jumping on a call with a client to find a solution to the problem of the day. Away from the desk, I might go to a rehearsal for the office choir at lunchtime or play a cricket match against a client team or go for a drink with a colleague in the evening.

What part of your role do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy getting to know clients and helping them solve their problems. In my area, I enjoy the fact that what I do is technical but relates to people. I like that we're quite a small team who can have a laugh together, even in the tough times. I also enjoy the fact that tasks can be broken down into manageable chunks so it feels like you've achieved something every day.

Which top three skills are vital for this role and why?

I would say resilience, inquisitiveness and humility. There's no getting away from the fact that life as a corporate lawyer can be quite tough and there will be times when the pressure's on for you, your colleagues and your clients, so you'll need to be able to not take things too personally; accept that you won't know everything; and demonstrate a willingness and desire to learn and grow from your experiences.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your role?

For me it would be juggling competing deadlines, especially when multiple matters require your urgent attention, but that's where the adrenaline kicks in I guess.

How do you help others feel like they belong in your team/promote inclusion?

I show an active interest in my colleagues as people rather than having purely work-focussed or transactional conversations with them. It can be as simple as saying 'hello', remembering your colleague's name or something about them and making them feel valued as a person. I also try to bring my whole self to work, which hopefully encourages others to feel like they can do the same. We've recently had a new LBGTQ+ joiner in our team and I've invited them along to a number of events hosted by the firm's LGBTQ+ network.

Which podcast/Youtube series would you recommend to someone interested in pursuing a career in this area to help develop their skills/prepare them for the role?

The Freakonomics podcast wouldn't be a bad place to start as it encourages you to question the world around you from a legal and economic angle. I'd say that anything with a legal or business focus would be worth watching or listening to.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Good question. Probably doing something similar but with more responsibility and a few more wrinkles. I tend to take each day as it comes and let the future take care of itself.