Craig Pouncey

Title: Managing partner
Division: EU and competition
Location: Brussels

I read modern languages at Kings College London followed by law at City University then Bar finals and postgraduate studies in European law at Nice university in France.

Herbert Smith was my first job in January 1987 when I started as a barrister, later re-qualifying as a solicitor. Given my languages background and the fact that European law was still, as a practice area, in its infancy, I took the view that practice in a major City law firm was likely to be more varied than practice at the Bar.

In my own practice area, European, competition and trade law, Herbert Smith’s practice across London, Brussels and Paris is consistently rated amongst the best. I think that this is at least in part because we try to be practical as well as lateral. I am always aware that most of our clients are not interested in the law, but view it more as a tool to achieve an aim.  As a result, the people I work with and respect wear their learning lightly.

I have spent almost 15 years in the Brussels office, latterly as managing partner working on everything from cross-border mergers, which need notifying to the European Commission, international cartels, and WTO cases.

I enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Brussels and I feel privileged to bring up my children (both of whom were born here) in such a multi-lingual environment. My wife is Danish, and we send our kids to the European School, where they are taught from the outset in English, Danish and French. I'm not sure that tri-lingualism would be so easily achievable in the UK.