Sven Hofmann

Current Employer/Organisation Name

Watson Farley & Williams LLP

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

Returned to Singapore in 2016 and qualified as a lawyer here in 2018, and have been practising as a corporate lawyer, now in the Singapore office of a London-headquartered law firm, since.

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

I had thought that it would provide an intellectually and financially rewarding career, and was partially drawn in by the prestige of the profession. I also thought studying with transferable skills should I decide in future to pursue a different career.

Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?

I was a member of the University’s Amateur Boxing Club, the Bracton Law Society, as well a member of and the General Secretary for one year of the University’s Singapore Society.

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

I enjoyed the world-class facilities and the Law faculty, the wide range of optional modules in my second and third years, and enjoyed the balance between self study and lectures, seminars and workshops.

What did you enjoy most about studying here?

I enjoyed being out of a big city like London, and really enjoyed the student-town environment and the picturesque surroundings like the south-west coast of England. For me it was an ideal balance of city versus university town, and easy enough to to get into London, especially to travel home to Singapore during summers. I also enjoyed the beautiful campus and world-class university facilities like the gym.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

I chose Exeter for a number of reasons, including its ranking and reputation, the beautiful campus and student-town, and for its international student population.

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?

Key skills that have been most useful in my career include technical skills summarised as legal knowledge, as well as analytical/critical thinking, research skills, attention to detail, communication and interpersonal skills and time / project management skills. Key experiences that have been useful include the general rigour of the LLB, the social aspects at university and elsewhere, and other experiences which have developed perseverance and grit.

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?

Learn as much as you can about what type of law you want to practise through internships and work experience, speaking to lawyers in that field and other mediums such as online content. It took me a long time to figure out what area of law I wanted to practice and it will be a much more fruitful and enjoyable experience once you have found that I think. The practice of law is nothing like on TV!

What are your plans for the future?

For now, to continue developing my legal career and potentially do a secondment to my firm’s London office . I am currently also an attendee of a year-long, part-time, business fundamentals course offered by the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School in partnership with my law firm, and may decide to pursue further education in business studies.