Fredrica joined DTM Legal as a Paralegal, before completing her training contract and qualifying in June 2015.
Fredrica is a solicitor in the Corporate and Commercial department specialising in mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, commercial intellectual property matters and advising on a wide variety of commercial contracts.
What does a typical working day look like?
The day begins with a herbal tea and reviewing my diary and task list for the day.
Although there is a lot of routine in the working day itself, what makes my role interesting is that no two days are ever alike. For instance, there are some days where I am jumping from one call or meeting to the next with little time at the desk. On other days, I can spend hours focused on drafting contracts for customers.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Positive feedback from clients who are very appreciative and complimentary of the work I’ve done for them.
What would you say is the biggest risk given the current climate?
Cyber hacks are increasingly threatening a vast number of businesses from a range of sectors. The Government Cyber Security Breach Survey 2019 found that 78% of businesses say that cyber security is a high priority for their organisation’s senior management. With cyber hacks becoming increasing more sophisticated and targeted, businesses need to be alert and have the appropriate system configurations and security policies in place.
What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
Remaining vigilant to fraudulent emails is something that I must do on a daily basis as during the course of a day I can receive multiple phishing emails. Some come from genuine email contacts who have had their emails hacked, so it is incredibly important to check whether the contents and tone of the email seem out of place. Law firms are prime targets for hackers because the firm holds incredibly valuable and confidential information that can be easily monetised.
How do you relax outside of work?
I chase around after a toddler so not much time to relax, but when the rare opportunity presents itself, I find talking the dog for a long walk is a good way to quiet the mind and take in the scenery.
If you hadn’t gone down your chosen career path, what would you be doing?
I’ve never really given alternative career paths a thought before, but I probably would have fallen into a role in a medium-large size organisation doing something which makes use of my Business and Management Studies degree.
What makes innovation so important?
Whether it relates to product development, marketing or staff welfare, innovation keeps a business one step ahead of its competitors. A lack of innovation can pose a risk to business success as a company becomes can become stagnant and irrelevant in a changing marketplace.
What do you think makes DTM Legal unique to other law firms?
It’s a great place to work. We’ve got a great team and there’s a fantastic workplace culture, which ultimately makes work coming to work very enjoyable.
