She has spent the last 20 years in-house working as a general counsel with brands including Top Shop, Harrods, Kurt Geiger and Fulham FC.  You can read the story about her recent treatment for cancer in the new edition of Holles Connect magazine which was published this month. You can read it here.

Mary says: “I have jumped back over the fence to build my own practice and provide my in-house lawyering experience to clients of my own. I gained my first client just before Christmas through a GC who has been on the other side of transactions to me in Italy over a number of years.

“For any newbie lawyers out there – the friendships and network that you build over the years are perhaps one of the greatest gifts that this profession has to offer. It’s a genuine honour for a peer to think that you are the right person for the job.”

She says her experience working client side has given her an in-depth understanding of the demands and commercial drivers placed on businesses. She says: “My strengths lie in building long-term relationships with consumer facing businesses, working alongside either a CEO or leadership team which does not have their own in-house resource or with a General Counsel who needs an extra pair of experienced hands for a one-off project or on an ongoing basis. I have particular interest in supporting brands through international expansion (UK, USA, Italy, France).”

We wish her every success in her new venture.