GRAPHIC “Career Journeys at Arthur Cox.”

Cian McCourt walks into a boardroom and sits down, lower third graphic reads:

“Cian McCourt
Partner
Head of Corporate and M&A”

GRAPHIC “Career Milestones”

If I was going to highlight three milestones that stand out for me. One was getting the opportunity to work abroad, which I did for a number of years in both the UK and US. It was a very, very exciting time, but also quite fulfilling, learning how to see how other markets work. Secondly was becoming a partner in Arthur Cox. I joined in 2016 and that was a big vote of confidence in my now partners and then lastly, I suppose, is becoming head of the Corporate and M&A Group here. That’s a big department in the firm and to be elected by your peers is a real honour and privilege so the three of those would be real highlights.

GRAPHIC “Changes throughout your career”

So I started in 1998 and I remember we didn’t have any computers, there was no email so the biggest change probably in 25 years is technological I think, where before you had a big fax room, communication was just slower. You had probably longer to respond to things. With the advent of modern and mobile communication has huge advantages because it gives us flexibility in our lives and the ability to work from home or work from wherever you may be but it’s also imposed, I suppose, much faster response times, much faster requirements in terms of turning documents, delivering client service. So I think probably then, as we look forward over the next number of years, as you see AI begin to impact our industry, I think technology is going to be the biggest, biggest change.

GRAPHIC “Mentoring”

So mentorship, massive part of my career, and I think probably anyone’s career. So anyone who’s starting out or even in the middle of the career, I’d actively seek mentors, be it formal or informal but certainly from my perspective, I had the opportunity to work as a young lawyer very closely with a partner who became a mentor who I’m still very close to friendly with and then even then, as you move on in your career, that doesn’t go away. So even though you’re a partner, you’re running an department, I still receive mentorship from both my partners and indeed other more junior members of the team. It goes both ways. So I think it’s a critical part of anyone’s career. You don’t operate in a vacuum, it’s a people business. So mentorship has been very important to me and frankly, wouldn’t have gotten to where I am without it.

GRAPHIC “Advice to your younger self”

I don’t think I change an awful lot. I’ve had a very fulfilling or satisfying career to date. I think what I’d say, though, is a couple of things. One, on the work side of it, really build your network, cultivate your network, continue to stay in touch with people, even if a transaction has finished or you got on with somebody. It’s part of what makes work interesting is building out your relationships so I would certainly emphasise that and the other thing I think I’d say is it’s a long career. Do take time to enjoy the moments, be it with family, your holidays and take the moment, actually maybe put the head up and smell the roses a little bit, because we all move at a very fast pace and sometimes it’s good to just to take stock and get and get your downtown.