Freshfields solicitor turns boxer / Die Halmiche des englischen Rechts

It’s been widely reported that Laura Saperstein, who grew up in Australia and was a lawyer in Australia and later at Freshfields in London, has become a professional boxer. She was unbeaten in her ten amateur fights and won her first professional bout recently. The Law Society Gazette has an article on her.

Ms Saperstein grew up near Byron Bay in Australia, but a lack of money and sponsorship killed her youthful dreams of becoming a professional surfer, so instead she eventually began studying law, finishing university with a first-class honours degree.

‘That gave me the chance to work pretty much where I wanted. I worked in criminal law for a while but did not enjoy it much. In 2001, I realised I could triple my earnings if I did corporate law in London and thought I might as well get paid as much as I could. I worked as a mergers and acquisitions solicitor at Freshfields for three years. It was a good salary but long hours – 14-hour days – and a lot of pressure.

‘It was a real prestige job, flying business class around Europe to lead negotiations and the firm paying for everything, but I didn’t like being stuck in an office working for other people. I was a long way from family and friends back home and did not have a support network.’

However, you don’t have to give up the law. Sara Davies (who grew up in Canada) is a partner in a family law firm and boxes in her spare time.

From John Mesirow’s Legal Juice

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