Corrado Angelelli – Partner

I really enjoy working in an energetic environment full of young people, where we work together instead of competing. I thought Freshfields would be the same as other international law firms I'd worked for. But it couldn't be more different. While you need to be ambitious to work here, there's no room for prima donnas. Technical skills are crucial but it's not just about the work - you've also got to bring your personality and an ability to deal with clients.

I specialise in banking and finance, including capital finance and restructuring. You might think some of us would be fairly quiet in the current economic climate, but in fact the opposite is true. In a downturn, when a particular area is quieter, you have to have the flexibility to move over to a busier sub-practice area in line with clients' needs.

You get all the support you need to do your job properly, which makes a massive difference to how the practice develops. It very useful to work in an international network where colleagues of other international offices can offer useful insights on products and legal structures which may not be developed in Italy. If I moved to another office, I know I would feel as comfortable as I do here.

It is hard for me to pick out just one highlight from my time at Freshfields. Right now I'm preparing my speech for a conference on mortgage loans that I am due to give. One thing I find really satisfying is when a client says 'I need you for a new, difficult job'. We work hard on building relationships so clients come to like and appreciate us, especially when we go one step further than just finding a solution to their problem.