Vincent Macq – Partner

I know when I wake up every morning there will be a new challenge in the day ahead, whether it's the challenge of assisting a client on a new project, advising on highly technical or strategic issues or winning new work in a competitive market.

Since 2003, when I joined the Brussels office, it has gone from strength to strength - we have been mandated on high-quality projects and are trusted advisers to many Belgian and international clients. In the current economic climate, we should have seen a downturn in work but we're as busy as ever. I think part of that is because we actively foster client relationships and we keep close to our clients and speak to them very regularly. We are here for them in their good and bad times, coming up with new structures or innovative ideas to solve complex problems. They keep coming back to us because they understand that we'll provide technically excellent advice but always with an eye to the commercial objective.

We encourage a sense of fun and proportion in our work, but that doesn't mean that we are frivolous. We work hard and look after our clients relentlessly; they are often in our offices for several days whilst we work on their deals. And they appreciate the fact that everyone - from fee earner to evening reception staff - goes out of their way to support them.

There is a real sense of pride and belonging in Freshfields and our staff and associates regularly tell us that they feel their contributions are valued. I think part of this is because we aim to recruit the very best people, with ambitious, intellectually able people joining us every year. And we encourage them to stay on by making sure they get the training and personal development that they want.