Mike Dankis

Mike joined Linklaters in March 2009. To date, he’s enjoyed his first seat in Equity and Debt Markets as well as a football tournament in Valencia.

Working as a team.

It’s obvious from the outside that Linklaters is a large, international law firm full of bright, dedicated and motivated people. But you don’t realise quite how special the support structures are until you arrive here. There are as many non-lawyers here as there are lawyers, and they make your job a great deal easier and a lot more enjoyable. Whether it’s advice about your career development, assistance from the finance team or the print room, or perhaps you’re dealing with document proof readers, everyone pulls together to get a job done.

To date, my most interesting transaction has been working on a bond issue for the Republic of Lithuania. My grandparents are Lithuanian so it was interesting to work with a country I have ties to, even if it was by pure chance. But I’ve had some non-work related highlights thanks to Linklaters too.

An experience worth sharing.

When I first arrived at Linklaters, my principal got in touch with some of his friends who happen to run the Linklaters football team. Before anyone had even seen me play, I was invited to fill a spot on a team trip to Valencia. It was a great way to quickly make friends and although they were understandably worried about playing an “unknown”, I’ve managed to stay in the team! Tours are great fun, heavily subsidised and often involve other Linklaters’ offices, which is great for networking. In Valencia for instance, Linklaters were also represented by the women’s football and netball teams, which gave yet more scope for meeting other colleagues in an informal setting.

Striking a healthy balance.

Now we’re back we play 11-a-side once a week in the Legal League during the winter and then in the Islington Summer League. Joining the team has helped tremendously in building friendships throughout the firm that I would not otherwise have made. The team is made up of people from all levels and areas of the business. It’s been a great opportunity to meet more experienced and senior lawyers in a relaxed atmosphere. The social aspect to playing in a team is great too, especially with the obligatory post-match “debrief” in the pub.