Claudia Volpi – Secretary

People might think there's a formal atmosphere in Freshfields, but I find the opposite. The wonderful, friendly environment is the reason I commute in every day, rather than taking a job closer to where I live. I know most people in the office agree that we work better as a team because we take the time to create friendly working relationships. Nicola, the partner I work for, is friendly, easygoing, always in a good mood and willing to help.

When the firm I worked for merged with Freshfields in 1997, it was an incredibly exciting time. The new location and new people brought a lot of positive energy that has remained to this day. Over the years, I've helped carry out challenging, high-profile transactions and I've also had the chance to use my qualifications by doing translation work, not something secretaries often get a chance to help with. I do love the international atmosphere at Freshfields.