Nicole KennedyNicole joined us as a trainee in 2006, qualified into Corporate Finance before moving in-house to Legal & General. Despite her hectic law career, she never gave up on her dream of being a novelist and last year published her first novel. We caught up with Nicole to learn about her journey from lawyer to author.

When did you work at Norton Rose Fulbright and in what team?

I trained at the firm from 2006 to 2008. At the time the firm operated a six-seat system so as well as working in London I was fortunate to also complete seats in Paris and Dubai. I qualified into corporate finance (CFT3) in 2008, working predominantly with Raj Karia and Julian Stanier. It could have been a disastrous time to qualify given the financial crisis but I’m grateful for the firm’s approach during that time, which included implementing flexible working. I had the opportunity to take a short sabbatical (during which I travelled to Argentina and Brazil), and I worked across other departments when required, which ultimately led to me moving to CFMT and working with Sean Murphy. I moved to Legal & General in 2010.

What are your most memorable moments from your time with us?

My overriding memory of Norton Rose Fulbright is the collegiate atmosphere - I feel very fortunate to have trained there and formed some life-long friendships. I find myself thinking of it unexpectedly, such as during Euro 2020, or watching the US election results, as I remember watching events such as those unfold from the large meeting rooms on the top floor of More London, technically with colleagues, but they felt more like friends.

I also have special memories from my time working in Paris and Dubai. In Paris I lived in a little flat on Rue du Bac, beside La Grand Épicerie, and travelled to both Toulouse and Hamburg for aircraft deliveries; it’s difficult to imagine a better work day than flying down to Toulouse and enjoying a meal (rumoured to be prepared by a Michelin starred chef) once the paperwork – and champagne celebrations - were concluded!

I worked in the corporate finance team in Dubai and being at the end of my training contract, and about to return to London to qualify, meant I was able to get involved in transactions effectively at an Associate level. I worked alongside Campbell Steedman and Andrew Cooke on the first listing on the Qatar Stock Exchange and learnt an enormous amount from them both.

My memory of the firm which I most often recall however, was a double all-nighter after I qualified, working in London on a cross-border transaction in Ghana being led by the inimitable Mark Bankes. Not an experience I would rush to repeat (the all-nighters rather than the transaction itself, which was as interesting as it was fast-paced) but definitely unforgettable!

Can you tell us about your career after leaving us?

I worked in-house across Legal & General’s annuity business, supporting individual retirement solutions (including the development of new products) and on bulk purchase annuity and longevity risk (corporate insurance and reinsurance) transactions, both in the UK and internationally. The role was varied and demanding and, on the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I particularly liked the commercial aspects of working within a business and was fortunate to work alongside a brilliant team of people. In hindsight it was a similar environment to Norton Rose Fulbright in that it was high-quality work alongside engaging colleagues. My work on sale and purchase agreements at Norton Rose Fulbright, and the variety of work I was exposed to during my traineeship and subsequently, ensured I was well-placed for the role.

After my second son was born I switched to working part-time at L&G. As part-time hours were not compatible with the transactions I had been engaged on, I worked on strategic projects such as L&G’s Brexit strategy and compliance with GDPR, as well as being responsible for IP and management of the Group’s trademark portfolio.

Have you always had ambitions to be a writer and what gave you the impetus to become a writer full time?

I’ve wanted to write since I was a child and have always been scribbling down notes and ideas. However, since I enjoyed working with words and was keen to work internationally, it seemed a natural – and more economically sound - fit to pursue a career in law. I always expected to write at some point but as I worked longer hours and began having children it seemed less and less likely. However, during my maternity leaves I began writing. Initially these were poems and I started a blog but as that took up more time I began to consider finally writing a book instead.

On my third maternity leave I began to write during my son’s nap times and in the evenings. I set myself a challenge of writing 1000 words a day. By the end of my maternity leave I had the first draft of a book. I signed with my agent shortly after and we worked on it together for a year before submitting it to publishers, at which point I secured a two-book deal with Head of Zeus.

Can you tell us about your first novel and the inspiration behind it?

Everything’s Perfect is a comedy about motherhood, friendship and the quest for perfection in an Instagram age. It follows two women: Cassie Holliday, Instagram superstar at the top of her game, and Beth, an anxious new mum who never ventures online. After a chance meeting their friendship blossoms and they become a lifeline for each other until a video of Beth goes viral and their offline friendship tips into online rivalry. It asks, in a world where everything is curated, what does it mean to have a perfect life?

I love to write about friendship and in Everything’s Perfect I was also inspired by some of the quirks of modern motherhood: achieving work/life balance in the digital age and retaining your identity post-motherhood, not just in relation to how you feel yourself but also how you might choose to project that when interacting online. I’m fascinated by the role online communities now play in our lives – often providing vital support – but also the risks involved and how easily we can be seduced by the idea of having a perfect life.

What are your plans for your next book?

I’m currently working on my second book, After Paris. It’s the story of three women, who have been friends for twenty years, but following a weekend in Paris never speak again. The strange thing is, none of them know why. As the story unfolds we discover what really happened that weekend. La Grand Épicerie, where I spent many an evening wandering around when I was a trainee, features heavily, and I have drawn some inspiration from the trainee flats in Paris (there are no other similarities before I get an email from the Norton Rose Fulbright IP department!).

You can find out more about my writing and where to find me on social media here. 'Everything’s Perfect' is available now in the UK, US and Ireland - to buy in hardback, trade paperback and ebook. It's also available now in Australia in ebook or pre-order your print edition for 1st September 2021.