Commercial Law Academy

Jake Schogger is a qualified lawyer, career coach, entrepreneur, author, copywriter and consultant. He is the founder and CEO of City Career Series, a publishing company that has sold ~50,000 handbooks designed to help students secure City careers, including the critically acclaimed Commercial Law Handbook and Training Contract Handbook. He also founded Commercial Law Academy. He trained at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and now acts as a legal adviser to start-ups and scale-ups, whilst also working as a career coach and delivering career-related presentations at universities across the UK. In addition, Jake works with tech start-ups and runs a variety of his own businesses. Connect with Jake on LinkedIn via www.linkedin.com/in/jakeschogger

Hannah Salton is a qualified executive coach, career consultant and former corporate graduate recruiter. She spent the first eight years of her career recruiting graduate talent for leading international corporations, including telecoms giant BT and elite law firm Allen & Overy. In 2017 she transitioned to a career in coaching and professional development, specialising in helping graduates achieve ambitious career goals. Through her personalised one-to-one and group coaching programmes, she helps people develop the skills, confidence and awareness needed to secure their dream job. For more information, visit www.hannahsalton.co.uk and connect with Hannah on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-salton-coaching

Leah trained and qualified at Magic Circle law firm Freshfields, where she also undertook secondments at BAE Systems and HSBC. She now works in Latham & Watkins' corporate/M&A team. Leah’s aim, through her career and lifestyle videos, is to demystify corporate law and widen access to prestigious institutions, particularly for those from non-traditional backgrounds like herself. Check out her YouTube Channel ‘LegallyBraids’ (https://www.youtube.com/c/LegallyBraids) to hear about her experiences.

Laura Brunnen's career in the City spanned over 20 years. She started as an all-round M&A lawyer at Slaughter and May, before becoming a private equity specialist at Kirkland & Ellis. She then spent a decade balancing life as a private equity partner at three international law firms alongside raising her family, whilst (just about) managing to maintain her sense of humour. In 2021, after a year of lock-downs and WFH, Laura had an epiphany and left the City to found her own business, The Legal Strategist. This has allowed her to focus on doing what she loves most: mentoring solicitors and corporate law consulting. As a mentor, Laura draws on her vast experience to offer unique, honest and highly personal insights, and to provide practical and actionable advice that enables mentees to become the best versions of themselves. After all, she has personally trodden the path to promotion on many occasions, and as a partner, she was responsible for the hiring, training, appraising and promoting of other lawyers. In other words, she’s now spilling the magician’s secrets… For more information, connect with Laura via linkedin.com/in/laura-brunnen, instagram.com/iamlaurabrunnen and https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12702854.

Giles spearheads Avvoka’s growth strategy, which involves working with in-house legal teams, leading law firms, and businesses. Previously, Giles worked as a City lawyer at Herbert Smith Freehills and Kirkland & Ellis. Giles also has in-house experience working for BP’s in-house legal team and in the regulatory division of PAX Labs/Juul.

Akil Hunte trained as a City lawyer at CMS, before becoming a music lawyer. He is also a public speaker, a motivational influencer, the author of ‘Unlocking Yourself After Lockdown’, a mentor to dozens of aspiring lawyers, the founder of ‘LinkedIn Skills For Lawyers’ and Non-Russel Group Lawyers, and the recipient of multiple awards.

Peter Watson has been a stockbroker, headhunter and entrepreneur for over 20 years. He writes and publishes the Watson's Daily blog on business and financial markets news, helping professionals and students alike to understand key trends and developments on a daily basis. Peter studied Law and Japanese at Cardiff University and so when he started working in the City, he had to "learn" economics and markets rapidly in a highly pressurised and competitive environment. He knows what you need to know and serves it up in an approachable way. Peter's markets knowledge comes from being a stockbroker for 13 years at four different investment banks in London and Tokyo, where he advised some of the world's biggest investors who traded on the UK, European and Japanese markets. He also advised CEOs and Chairmen of global blue-chip companies on investor trends and strategies. He has also been a City headhunter in finance and investment banking and a successful candidate in many different professions! www.watsonsdaily.com I @watsons_daily

Helen Pamely is a former City law firm Partner, turned psychotherapist and executive coach. Helen knows first-hand the challenges of living and working in the high-octane legal world. Blending this experience with her in-depth knowledge of mental health, psychology & performance, she offers unique and powerful insights into how we can become the happiest, healthiest & highest performing versions of ourselves. This enables her to support lawyers to unlock their personal and professional potential.

LinkedIn personality Gordon Chung trained and qualified at Baker McKenzie, where he practises as a Corporate M&A lawyer. He completed his Bachelor of Laws degree at City University of Hong Kong before obtaining his postgraduate Master of Corporate Law degree at University of Cambridge. He has also passed the New York state bar examination.

Robert Hanna is the Founder & Managing Director of KC Partners, an innovative and world leading legal talent solutions and content creation firm focused on community. He specialises in helping aspiring and qualified legal professionals with their careers and to secure dream jobs with law firms & corporates across the UK, Europe, Middle East, Far East & US. Rob is a super networker & active content creator. He the most followed legal recruiter and talent solutions expert across social media. Rob has advised LinkedIn on various new product roll outs and been ranked as a Top 100 Rising Star & Influencer. He regularly features in LinkedIn News & Hosts the LinkedIn Creators Audio Townhall. He is also a Mentor, Speaker & Commentator having been featured in the Modern Lawyer and launched the world renowned Legally Speaking Podcast powered by Clio. Rob’s Legally Speaking Podcast became the first legal podcast in the world to embrace Web3, launching NFTs and a Social Token ($Legal Coin); all designed to protect and empower the legal community by giving everyone a voice. www.legallyspeakingpodcast.com

Luke trained and qualified at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he worked for 3.5 years (this included a secondment at Bank of America Merrill Lynch). He was a project finance lawyer, but then joined the private equity team at Ropes & Gray, where he worked for 3 years, before changing careers to focus on legal headhunting. He has since co-founded and runs ARMA Search (www.armasearch.com).

Peggy Forell is the founder of Advocality, a consultancy born out of a passion for teaching presentation skills. These are the skills that go into delivering a message to a group of people (including interviewers!), with the intention of making them glad they heard it. Peggy has worked mainly with lawyers over the years and was employed by one of the City’s magic circle law firms to teach lawyers how to better communicate, structure and deliver presentations. However, Peggy is not a lawyer. In fact, this is her USP. For many years, she trained for the stage, after achieving a Degree in Speech & Dramatic Art with the University of Iowa. When her dazzling career in performance didn’t eventuate, she diversified into working with non-actors on their verbal and non-verbal communication skills: an actor’s bread and butter. Today Peggy works with lawyers in the City and in numerous other countries, at all levels of their careers…from law students to senior partners. www.advocality.co.uk

John Trimbos is a solicitor and training consultant who specialises in communication skills. He has a background in both the public and private sectors, and provides training and one-to-one coaching for a variety of organisations (including teaching business writing to LPC students at BPP University). John Trimbos provides training courses and one-to-one coaching for a variety of individuals and commercial organisations. For more information, check out www.trimbostraining.com.

Ali Obeid, a non-law graduate from LSE, is best known for his highly-personal and insightful career and university-related YouTube videos, as well as the comprehensive tips and resources that he publishes on LinkedIn. Coming from a lower socio-economic single-parent family, Ali truly understands the struggles of 'fitting in' and 'keeping up' with others, which is why his content focuses on helping students to break barriers and reach new levels, efficiently and effectively. He secured a training contract at White & Case, having also interned at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Simranjeet Kaur Mann trained and qualified at Womble Bond Dickinson, having previously attended 4 assessment centres, completed 3 vacation schemes and received 3 training contract offers (plus worked in 3 paralegal roles and briefly at a “Big 4” accounting firm). She then joined tech-focused boutique law firm Founders Law, and now works as a consultant for Aspiring Solicitors. She’s passionate about increasing diversity across, and access to the legal profession, which has led to her offering regular guidance to aspiring solicitors via her Instagram page and her (light-hearted yet informational) YouTube channel.