Kate is on her home turf this time, introducing some of the partners in Curtis’s brand new office space, situated in the heart of the City of London.

With London being a key hub for international work, lawyers here specialize in energy, oil and gas, public international law and funds with clients far and wide, including the MENA region.

• Investment funds lawyer, Karl Behrouz started life at Curtis as a trainee, left for a spell in house and is now back as partner in the corporate group, where he oversees work allocation to associates and trainees. He shares how leaving for a spell in-house shifted his perspective, and gives sound advice for anyone thinking about a legal career;
• Luciana Ricart, author and partner in Curtis’ public international law and international arbitration practices, explains the huge range of disciplines within her work. Such as sovereignty disputes, treaty interpretation and the implementation of international humanitarian law;
• Senior corporate lawyer Marc Hammerson on why London is a key hub for his international work in energy and natural resources, and how the energy transition is working in legal practice; and
• Dr. Walid El-Nabal, a Libyan lawyer whose focus is on northwest Africa, on the subtleties of different legal regimes and how major geopolitical changes in recent years has meant that adaptability has been a fundamental skill in meeting his clients’ changing needs.

In the second episode from Italy, Kate visits Curtis’ Milan office, located in one of the stunning historic neighbourhoods, a stone's throw away from Milan’s architectural landmark, the Duomo. Here, she chats with four of the partners, each with fascinating backgrounds in fashion, litigation, corporate and the firm’s staple international arbitration:

• Fashion lawyer Daniela Della Rosa on how commercial, contract, M&A and IP law all play a role in her work as a fashion lawyer – and advice to those hoping to specialise in the area themselves.
• Litigator Edoardo Zucchelli on the vital role of teamwork in helping clients from very different culture to navigate international trade law, including EU and UN sanctions work;
• Corporate international and private equity lawyer Paolo Cocchini on the travel and social elements of working at Curtis, and on cooperating on building a practice with other offices; and
• International arbitration lawyer Irene Petrelli – leader of Curtis’s Italian arbitration team – on how culturally diverse colleagues from a range of legal backgrounds give an edge to the firm’s international arbitration advice, as well as enhancing her life at work.

In the first of two episodes from Italy, Kate is in Rome to meet the team at their office, inside a heritage building on Piazza Venezia. The lawyers here have expertise in diverse areas, from data privacy to renewable energy, VC investments and art law.

• Data protection and cyber law focused corporate lawyer, Gaia Morelli argues that the ‘digital native’ position occupied by early career lawyers puts them in an ideal position to practice technology and corporate law, across areas like AI and cybersecurity.
• Real estate and finance partner Sergio Esposito Farber gives a window into the fascinating - and singular - world of Roman real estate and art law, and has advice for any young lawyer on identifying the kind of practice you want, and making it happen; and
• Corporate partner Carmine Gravina explains how Curtis’s work with venture capital clients can move at astonishing pace and shares some stories about the intricacies of renewable energy deals in the African desert.

This episode, Kate is in Curtis’ headquarters in New York, the city where it was founded nearly 200 years ago. Today, Curtis occupies several floors of a prestigious heritage building just a few steps from Grand Central Station. As you’d expect of the firm’s headquarters, and the largest of all Curtis offices, it has the full range of international and U.S. practice areas.

• Susan Maples, energy lawyer on the lure of the mega-deal, oil and gas work, representing African governments and how unexpectedly her career has turned out, with advice on what to think about when planning a career;
• Jason Wright, former military lawyer talks litigation, economic warfare (sanctions law), how his time as a JAG (judge advocate) in the U.S. army has informed his practice, and shares some advice for young lawyers;
• Jonathan Walsh, co-managing partner and the firm’s compliance partner talks New York litigation, acting for Brazilian clients, professional services litigation, representing the boxing promoter, Don King over decades and other surprising firm clients; and
• Corporate lawyer and co-managing partner, Val Hing talks about the international flavor of her broadly based corporate practice. She advises on corporate, commercial, finance, corporate finance and even some regulatory. She also explains why pro bono publico work is an important part of her professional life and how the firm supports that.

The Whitehouse is moments from Curtis’s Washington DC office – and host Kate is there to speak with managing partner Claudia Frutos Peterson, who teaches international commercial and investment arbitration alongside her thriving practice, and Dan Porter, who leads the firm’s elite international trade practice.

• Claudia explains the attraction for young attorneys of these dynamic areas of the law and why advising sovereign clients is particularly interesting. How the international nature of a firm like Curtis sits perfectly in DC – where life is truly multicultural and multilingual;
• Dan focuses on both advisory and litigation trade work. He describes working at the intersection of trade policy and politics. In an election year, his focus is on advising international clients into the U.S. on the likely implications of a change in administration.

On Tour with Curtis is a Fresh Air production. The producer is Jack Soper.

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