Spotlight: Interview with... Rajiv Samani, Corporate Associate, Bristows

We spoke with newly-qualified lawyer, Rajiv Samani, Corporate Associate at Bristows this month to find out how life in law is treating him. We chatted about why Bristows won his vote over other firms, words of wisdom for trainees, his biggest inspiration and more.

Rajiv, you qualified in 2021 and joined Bristows as a Corporate Associate with a focus on tech and life sciences. Name the best quality needed for your job and what’s the aspect you most enjoy day to day?

A willingness to learn from others. As a newly-qualified lawyer, there are many instances where you will feel out of your comfort zone, for example; with a tricky piece of drafting/a new document that you have not encountered before. It is here where you need to be willing to learn from others with more experience in a particular area of law.

This dove tails well with the aspect I enjoy most day to day – working with exceptionally talented people. I noticed early on in my time at Bristows how many varied and diverse backgrounds many of the lawyers and support staff have come from. This creates a very fun environment and collaborative place to work where everyone is genuinely willing to help each other out and better one another.

Since qualifying, what’s been the biggest surprise since your training has completed? What words of wisdom do you wish could have been passed down to you as a trainee to prepare or help you for life as a lawyer?

I have been surprised by the generosity of all people within the firm, in terms of the time they are willing to invest in the team and also the commerciality of the working environment. As well as being technically excellent lawyers, everyone at Bristows places a strong emphasis on understanding a client’s business area and keeping up to date on sector developments. This helps us create long standing relationships with clients as we are able to properly partner with them on what is best for their business and advise them on all aspects of their strategy.

I would tell my “trainee-self” to remember that the learning doesn’t stop when you leave law school/finish your training contract. Always make time to invest in your knowledge development because it is invaluable when applying the law to the challenges facing clients.

If you weren't a lawyer, what would you be?

As a keen sportsman in my youth, I would very (very) optimistically like to say a cricketer/golfer. Back on earth and as an economics undergraduate, I would say working in economic theory or perhaps teaching economics in a secondary school with a view to going into lecturing in the future.

Bristows describes itself as being “fiercely independent” and takes a rare approach to other law firms having no billing targets. How does this impact on the workforce and its company culture?

It is refreshing to work in a firm without chargeable/billable hours targets. I believe this genuinely fosters a culture where quality of work and learning and of course the needs of the client, are at the forefront of your mind rather than the emphasis being on targets. Work/life balance is something that is important to everyone and I think that the practice, policies and culture at Bristows promote a unique and very real approach to this.

The Legal 500 2022 says that Bristows is “one of the most well-renowned and experienced TMT/IP firms in the UK.” What was the main thing that stood out about the firm that made you want to join? And what do you hope the firm can bring to your career?

One of the main reasons I wanted to join Bristows was to be part of a firm which is a market leader in tech and life sciences, two sectors which I have a great interest in. This coupled with the variety of work streams, ranging from M&A deals for multi-national life science companies to investment rounds into cutting edge technology companies has meant that I have the opportunity to get involved in work which I would read about in business journals out of interest.

I am excited by the opportunities to experience a wide range of corporate work in both the life sciences and tech sectors. Given the non-hierarchical structure of the team, I have and hopefully will continue to be given the responsibility to do exciting work for exciting clients and to develop my own network from early on in my career.

What’s your favourite quote / life mantra you go by?

“Never listen to other people’s expectations. You should live your life and live up to your own expectation.” - Tiger Woods

What, or who, is your biggest inspiration?

My grandad is my biggest inspiration. He came to the UK from Kenya in the 1970’s and worked very hard to set up his own stationery shop. Despite having a very busy professional life, he would always have time to speak to everyone and through happy or stressful moments, he always had a smile on his face (something which I try to replicate but is easier said than done!)