Maeve Carson, Senior Manager
Our team is made up of both qualified lawyers and legal professionaIs. As part of my role as a lawyer, I assist the instructing Baker McKenzie office with an array of different projects - typically related to Mergers and Acquisitions, Venture Capital or reorganisations.
In my role as a Senior Manager, I also manage a number of qualified lawyers in our team.
I work at least two days per week from home and two days in the office with the remaining day in either, depending on meetings and calls. This split between home and office suits me really well! I enjoy both for different reasons. Working from home is so convenient and skipping the commute gives me an extra two hours to call my own. Being in the office means seeing friends and enjoying little treats like surprise breakfast baps or an unexpected ice cream van on a sunny day!
My Baker McKenzie journey
I completed my law degree at QUB in June 2011 and started my training contract with a local law firm that September. I qualified into the corporate department in September 2013 and enjoyed another three years with that firm before joining Baker McKenzie in August 2016.
A friend of mine joined Baker McKenzie Belfast very shortly after it first opened and talked very highly of the company and the team I would be joining. It says a lot that we are both still here!
My first role was as a Lawyer in the Corporate Support Unit which at the time was a very small team - the TSG has more than tripled in size since then.
Since joining six years ago, I have been promoted from Lawyer to Manager and Senior Manager. My role has therefore moved from solely a legal role to also a management role. This includes pastoral care, professional development and mentoring. Working at a company like Baker McKenzie has given me the opportunity to manage others quite early in my career. It has been a steep learning curve but one I have really enjoyed.
A global team
The Belfast office plays more than a supporting role to the company as a whole, we’re an integral part of the global projects we work on and I’m privileged enough to have seen that both in my role here and when I worked in our Chicago office.
I spent three months in Chicago (from January-March 2018) as part of a secondment, working on a number of high-profile M&A deals alongside the Chicago associates. This was a great way to get to know the Chicago team and build relationships to take back to Belfast but it also allowed me to see how important Belfast was to colleagues in the US and across the world.
I loved living and working in Chicago but I have to say, I look forward to returning in the summer as the winters are harsh!
A Career As Individual As You
Baker McKenzie Belfast is a friendly place to work. There are a great variety of clubs and societies, committees and training opportunities on offer, as well as chances to develop your experience and close working relationships with the other offices.
I have made some really great friends at Baker McKenzie and have gained exposure to so many different cultures - both through the travel opportunities the job allows and the day-to-day interactions we have with our colleagues all over the world.
I also get to play a role in activities not directly related to my job but which have an impact on my colleagues here and internationally. I am a member of the Baker McKenzie Gender Committee, which aims to promote gender equality in the workplace. Earlier this year, we organised a week of events to celebrate International Women's Day, which included yoga and meditation sessions, talks from Women's Aid and sessions on self-defence, ally-ship in work and a ‘Lean In’ session.
I enjoy my actual day-to-day work, but also the social aspect of working here and the satisfaction of participating in activities that can make a difference.