Collaboration, creativity and ambition - Tara Waters

What does teamwork mean to you?
I think Ashurst recognises that achievement of our firm's vision requires collaboration, creativity and ambition. We should aspire to be more than "just a firm of lawyers". We should be business partners, strategists and dreamers; we should be an exceptional place to work where people feel that they matter.

You have had an interesting career at Ashurst, can you tell us about your career journey?
I am a non-traditional lawyer in many senses. As many know by now, law is my second career—having first worked in the tech industry as a digital developer. Within law, I have also taken a relatively non-traditional path—first expanding my practice competencies over time (versus narrowing into a single product area), next developing my tech industry focus and then transitioning into the innovation side of the business through my leadership of Ashurst Advance Digital. These twists and turns have involved capitalising on opportunities when presented, taking risks and following my passion.

What makes you feel proud to work at Ashurst?
In a time when it's easy to point to law firms as dinosaurs doomed to extinction, I am always really energised by the many conversations I have with people across the firm who understand the need for change and adaptation (even if they don't necessarily know how to help effect it). I know we have all of the ingredients necessary to become a truly digital first law firm, and to reshape the boundaries of what a law firm is and could be. Seeing more people like myself in the firm, who feel passion for this challenge and are working together to tackle it head-on gets me out of bed every morning.