Becoming a legal consultant with Peerpoint can open up a whole world of possibilities when it comes to pursuing your own interests and passions. We believe it is possible to have a fulfilling high-level legal career without feeling like other projects and ideas have to take a back seat. We spoke to four Peerpoint consultants about what it is they enjoy doing alongside their legal consulting career.
Graham Martin, Banking lawyer, London
Tell us about how you use your time when you’re not being a legal consultant?
I joined the Peerpoint panel in 2015 and since then have worked in a variety of roles, both full-time and part-time, which have dovetailed with time away to focus on other priorities. For instance, I took a break from consulting in 2019 to pursue an MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art. This allowed me to immerse myself in developing my artistic practice in ways that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible.
It also led to a number of exciting opportunities including the recent exhibitions Tomorrow 2021 at White Cube and London Grads Now at Saatchi Gallery. 2021 also saw the launch of Trafalgar Avenue, a gallery and project space that I founded with my partner Carlos in South East London. Our programme profiles a diverse range of artists, writers, and curators with a focus on providing opportunities for recent graduates and early-career practitioners. As an artist-led space, we are committed to encouraging experimentation, both in approaches to making and modes of display and presentation.
What are you looking to achieve in 2022?
This year is set to be another exciting year! I recently embarked on a new part-time Peerpoint role, which has given structure to my working week whilst allowing me to continue prioritising the studio and my commitments at Trafalgar Avenue.
I have my first solo exhibition at Huxley Parlour in London opening in late June, for which I’m working on a new body of work. I’m also working with Camp Books on a publication of my research exploring the origins of Section 28 and the impact it had on the generations in education whilst it remained in force. The book will be published later in the year with the generous support of Jerwood Arts. Finally, we have a really exciting programme of exhibitions and events throughout 2022 at our gallery spaces in London and Margate.
Find out more:
Graham's website and Trafalgar Avenue gallery.
Ann Silla, Corporate and General Commercial lawyer, London
Tell us about how you use your time when you’re not being a legal consultant?
When not being a legal consultant, I do a lot of things with my time, some more useful and successful than others, and every now and then I attempt to work on my Italian! During the pandemic, I had the idea to start a podcast about what it’s like to actually be a lawyer in the City and so with my friend we launched ‘So, you think you want to be a…lawyer?’. We just finished the second season before Christmas. The goal in season one was to give an authentic view of what law can be like, alongside some tips and helpful hints on how to succeed. In season two we branched out to interview some of our peers so that listeners could hear about all sorts of journeys into (and out of) law.
What are you looking to achieve in 2022?
I’m still open to new challenges in my legal career and intend to choose to do things that keep me interested and thriving. I have a couple of ideas to build the podcast’s audience for trainees and junior lawyers, as our feedback tells us it’s helpful for them.
Other than that I often have ideas for things and have been playing around with something connected to my other fascination – Formula One(!), or else getting back to mentoring which I did a lot more of earlier in my career. Finally, because taking time to rest is so important I’m just hoping to be able to get away this year and the plan is to chase a Formula One race somewhere around the world!
Find out more:
You can listen to Ann’s podcast here.
Abigail Silver, Litigation lawyer, London
Tell us about how you use your time when you’re not being a legal consultant?
I’ve been a Peerpoint consultant since 2016 and enjoy the flexibility it provides for me to continue to practise as a lawyer, at a senior level, but also to indulge my passion for writing crime fiction. My preferred routine (disrupted a little by recent events) is to write a novel in between each fixed-term contract I complete.
I’ve now published five books in the Burton & Lamb legal thriller series, each one covering a topical, contemporary subject. My intrepid legal duo have faced everything from autonomous vehicles to lie-detecting software. My two offerings for 2021 were a little different but continued my overarching theme of society’s quest for the new. The Rapunzel Act features trans-woman (and former premier league footballer) Debbi Mallard’s search for justice when her trial is televised and analysed for popular consumption and The Midas Game examines the world of online gaming, when the main suspect in the death of a dedicated psychiatrist, who treated patients with gaming addiction, is a young, celebrity gamer.
What are you looking to achieve in 2022?
Whilst I could focus solely on my novels, writing is a solitary business. So, in addition to enjoying the legal work, I find that being in the workplace and interacting with people (think those ‘water cooler’ conversations) often feeds my writing and keeps it current.
In any event, I believe it’s important to face new challenges as your career progresses. For me, taking on a whole new persona, that of ‘Abi Silver the author’, has certainly ticked that box. As for the immediate future, my sixth book will be out in 2022, with a new, delicious storyline (that’s all I’ll say for now)…
Find out more:
Abi's website and to buy her books go here.
Amanda Seto, Dispute Resolution lawyer, Hong Kong
Tell us about how you use your time when you’re not being a legal consultant?
In between my Peerpoint client assignments I spend the majority of my spare time developing my scarf business which involves designing new scarves and overseeing the production, packaging, and delivery processes. My favourite part of the entire process would definitely be creating the designs and seeing the digital design come to life at the final stage of production. I especially love experimenting with new themes, colour palettes, and different materials and it's always exciting to start with a blank canvas at the beginning of each new design as I never know exactly how the final design will look following my initial concept and idea.
What are you looking to achieve in 2022?
In 2022, I hope to be able to explore more consignment opportunities with various shops and further expand the brand by doing more pop-ups and attending some local fairs to meet more of my clients face-to-face. I really enjoy the interactions with my clients who always give me such positive feedback and provide me with further inspiration for future designs.
Find out more:
You can find Amanda on Instagram: @aseto68_designs and on Facebook
