Flat hierarchies and a dynamic team
Dear Nicolas, first of all, thank you very much for your time. You have been admitted to the bar since 2018 and have been working as a lawyer at Rödl & Partner in Bielefeld/Herford since October 2022. Where did you work before and why did you change employers?
I initially worked at the major international law firms Clifford Chance and CMS Hasche Sigle in Düsseldorf from 2018 to 2022 in the areas of healthcare, data protection and intellectual property. In particular, I was able to gain extensive insights into complex contract projects and international corporate transactions.
In the long term, however, I did not see myself working as a lawyer in a “traditional” large law firm, as it is still difficult to achieve the work-life balance that I envisage there. Nevertheless, when choosing my employer, it was important to me that I could continue to provide legal advice to companies at a high legal level. This is how I ended up at Rödl & Partner.
During my interview at Rödl & Partner, I was promised flat hierarchies, a dynamic team, proximity to the client and excellent development opportunities. After six months I can confidently say, that I have found this environment in my daily professional life. I have direct contact and the opportunity at any time to coordinate personally and on complex legal issues with my partner in charge and the other team members.
Lawyer
How do you balance out while working?
I try to spend as much time as possible with my family after work. Our daughter is only a few months old. It gives me great pleasure to explore the world with her. In doing so, I can avoid the stress of everyday life and switch off very well.
On the weekends, I like to meet up with friends, preferably in social gatherings with good food and a glass of wine. I also use exercise to balance things out. This works very well for me with regular running rounds or tennis.
What would you recommend to newcomers who want to follow a similar path to yours?
At an early stage, I would try to work in various law firms as an intern, legal trainee or research assistant. As part of the day-to-day work, you can quickly identify which law firm you would like to work in. In my experience, this helps immensely to know which law firm you would like to work in before you start your career.
Thank you very much for the exciting interview Nicolas. We wish you all the best for your future career.