This week in our MHC Life Series, we hear from Sarah Cloonan, a Partner in our Financial Regulation team. Sarah chats about her career journey, a typical day and a tv show she has been binge watching recently.

Tell us a bit about you and your career journey to MHC – what inspired you to get into this career?

A career in law always interested me. There is strong evidence to suggest that this was influenced by certain shows/movies I may have watched (and regularly quote) as a teenager, but it was really driven by a love of justice, fairness and fintech.

After graduating from UCD, I completed the FE1s and trained in another leading Irish law firm. Following qualification, and with Destiny Child’s Independent Women Part 1 ringing in my ears, I spent a year abroad working in a leading Maltese law firm until my return to Dublin to join MHC.

I’m lucky enough to work on the Financial Regulation team. It is an exciting area to be in at the minute and the work is really varied. Innovation in the financial services industry is at an all time high, so it is important to stay up-to-date on developments and how the regulatory landscape is equipped to respond. As a result, it is a fast-paced practice area and one I am happy to be a part of.

What was your first job?

Working on the shop tills in Londis in Malahide. I loved working there as I was constantly meeting and chatting to the locals. It was a great way to develop my people skills. Given my unwavering love of justice and being a goody two shoes, I was soon working on the till in the off-licence where I ruled with an iron fist – I was the queen of asking for ID.

What tv shows have you binge watched recently?

If I’m brutally honest, I’ve just finished rewatching every episode of Dawson’s Creek. I would encourage all of those that have yet to watch it to do so. It’s a great way of improving your vocabulary.

Talk us through a typical day for you

I’m definitely a morning person so I typically jump out of bed singing. Then it’s a case of picking the dart, the bus or a walk to get into the office.

Once at my desk, it’s time to review my “To Do List”. I was overwhelmed by nostalgia in Dunnes Stores recently and took the opportunity to invest in an Aisling Copy Book No. 11 which I use for recording my “To Do List” and jotting down inspirational quotes. Total game changer.

I then move on to getting through my inbox, kicking off various workstreams or finalising advice and attending team and client calls. I’m also a fan of making copious amounts of coffee and then inevitably forgetting I made it and letting it go cold.

Once I finish up for the day I’ll try and get to the gym or go for a walk/swim down by Seapoint. Until recently, I’d then watch an episode of Dawson’s Creek and spend ten minutes before bed trying to come up with the name of a serious show that I could say I watched. Always best to be prepared in the event a colleague asks.

What sports/hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy?

I’m a fan of most sports and have been known to try my hand at a few (with varying levels of success). Most recently I’ve tried my hand at a bit of golf and still try to get through a tag match without seriously injuring myself. I’ve also been developing my “at one with nature” activities and have been trying to ascend a few mountains. I recently climbed Snowdon and the ascent went swimmingly. The descent on the other hand...

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