Ariela Stoffer – Associate

I grew up in Curacao, a small island in the Caribbean, and came to the Netherlands to do my law degree. I'd always planned on going straight back home after my studies but ever since I came into contact with competition law I aspired to a career at an international law firm with a reputable competition law practice - so, when I found myself with a six-month gap before starting a postgraduate LLM degree in Brussels, I decided to apply for an internship with Freshfields.

What an eye opener! I wasn't sure what to expect but right from the start I was involved in all types of work and given a good share of the team's responsibilities. Freshfields must have liked me as much as I liked them because, before I left to do my postgraduate year in Brussels, I accepted a permanent position as an associate in the Netherlands.

It's hard to describe just how much I enjoy my work. I'm part of the competition law team. It's a dynamic, fast-changing and stimulating area of work and I've been involved in several heavyweight cartel cases, challenging fines imposed by the European Commission before the Court of First Instance in Luxembourg. I also got the opportunity to appear before the Court in Luxembourg, something I've always imagined doing.

It's not just the work though, our training is also superb. At the training sessions and annual conferences I've met colleagues from all over the world, which is a life-saver if you have a legal problem concerning another jurisdiction. So now I have personal contacts I can call on for advice and a friendly face when I visit their cities.

I work with amazingly talented people who have taught me how to look beyond the letter of the law. And now I know that, especially in competition law, my business approach to a client's problem is just as important as knowing what the law says.