My legal life: Emily Lui, Seddons

We have no lawyers in our family and for some strange reason I decided that is what I wanted to be. I do have a deep-rooted sense of right and wrong so perhaps that is what it was.

I started to paralegal in a West End law firm during my law degree and moved on to my LPC. I decided I was not yet ready for a training contract nor to hang up my academic career, so I embarked on a master’s in law where I had my LLM thesis published in the European Law Review.

I then trained in a small West End firm. I had an interest in music law and arranged an internship with Warner Chappell Music. I committed to do my full five-day training contract work in four days so they would release me to intern. They kindly agreed.

I originally wanted to be a lawyer in the music industry. My LLM was focused on intellectual property and music-related issues. After my internship I realised that the industry was not for me. The law firm I trained with was heavily property-focused.

I was involved in buying and selling nightclub premises and businesses, and I suspect the mid-twenties me loved that. Since qualification I have worked exclusively in property law and haven’t looked back.

On a basic level, dealing with property contracts and leases is a cinch. But the transactional and negotiation skills you learn as a property lawyer (rather than being adversarial) are such an advantage when dealing with any business discussions or needs. Solutions and ongoing working relationships are needed for a business to move forwards. In addition, being a property lawyer requires you to examine and assess details very quickly and that way of thinking really puts me at an advantage.

'Cutter & Squidge now turns over around £8m and my sister asked me to assist in pushing the business forward at a strategic level'

My sister and I are complete foodies and we were the friends or family that always turned up to parties with the cake. My younger sister was working in corporate finance when she suggested that we turn our hobby into a business. The creative part of me jumped at this idea and Cutter & Squidge was then born. For eight years I worked with her in the evenings and weekends, or took holiday leave, to set up the business, bake, create, sell at markets, do deliveries and work in our stores. I was as hands-on as I could be.

Cutter & Squidge now turns over around £8m and my sister asked me to assist in pushing the business forward at a strategic level. I am currently on a six-month sabbatical from Seddons to enable me to do this on a full-time basis.

Seddons has been incredibly supportive. When I approached the firm they were understanding of the need but also appreciated the commitment I have given over the years.

My sabbatical and immersion in a commercial business will also give me skills a lawyer would not normally have. Seddons appreciates it will have the benefit of this when I return.

Many of my clients are business contacts I have known for years and they are very accommodating (and some excited) about my sabbatical. It helps that I have a fantastic team of property lawyers at Seddons who are looking after everyone while I am out of office.