Linklaters ESG Managing Associate, Preeya Russell, sat down with Re:link to discuss her career journey to date, and her experiences working as a Re:link lawyer.

After starting her career with Linklaters, Preeya moved in-house before returning to Linklaters via the Re:link platform. As a Re:link lawyer, Preeya supported several Linklaters practice groups before permanently joining the Linklaters ESG team. Preeya reflects on the variety of work she has enjoyed and shares how her experiences with Re:link changed her approach to her work and her career.

Q. Preeya, thanks for taking the time to speak to us. You joined Re:link in 2020 during the Covid pandemic. Can you talk us through your career before this and what attracted you to the platform?

A. Joining Re:link was a full-circle moment for me, as I previously trained with Linklaters before qualifying into the Corporate team where I stayed for four years. After this experience, I went in-house for two years as an M&A lawyer. During Covid, my in-house role changed significantly, and I ultimately ended up handing in my notice. This left me looking for a new, in-house role during a pandemic!

By a twist of fate, I was chatting to Tracey Lochhead, Corporate partner at Linklaters. Tracey had a client looking for some extra support at that time, initially on a short-term basis. This is where Re:link came in. The platform’s model allowed me to join the Corporate team on a two-month contract, which ended up turning into a year.

Q. How did you find your first Re:link experience?

A. It was great and it really suited me at that time. It was enjoyable to come back to a team I knew and respected, and I felt that they understood the way that I wanted to work. I had the opportunity to get involved in a lot of advisory work which was quite different from my previous Corporate experience.

Q. That’s great to hear. After your time in the Corporate group you moved on to a new Re:link assignment in a different Linklaters team. Please can you talk to us about this?

A. Yes. The opportunity arose to join the Linklaters Employment & Incentives practice as they were undergoing an extremely busy period. I enjoyed having the opportunity to try something different and to learn new skills. This was a new area of work for me, and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to make the jump if it weren’t for Re:link.

I left my Re:link role with the Employment & Incentives practice to go on maternity leave, and when I came back, the opportunity arose to join Linklaters’ ESG team, once again through Re:link. I was hesitant at first given it would be another new practice area but Re:link supported me, and what started as a four-month contract once again was extended, and ultimately, I ended up joining the ESG group permanently.

Q. What did you like about the experience of working for the different practice groups via Re:link?

A. I felt that I was given the opportunity to work flexibly, which is important to me. What I appreciate about the Re:link style of contract work is that it keeps you thinking about what is going to come next and you can be proactive in your decision making. At the same time, there is the opportunity to benefit from unexpected roles that you might not ordinarily have considered and might not have been offered to you, if you were permanent in a different job.

My experience with Re:link has changed my attitude to work and my career. It has expanded my network and horizons. Through Re:link (in a relatively short space of time), I have undertaken Corporate M&A, Employment & Incentives, and ESG work. It has been a brilliant and unique experience and ultimately, I’ve found a practice area I find interesting and challenging – something I would not have been able to do on a traditional linear career path.

Q. We’re pleased Re:link has been able to provide you with these opportunities. Do you think any of your past career choices have helped you prepare for your new ESG role?

A. I think being in-house previously and having to adapt to changes quickly has prepared me for working in an area like ESG. ESG is ever-evolving, with new challenges appearing all the time. It’s exciting to be part of something that is constantly developing.

Thank you for speaking to us!