When did you attend Francis Holland and what initially brought you to the school?

I was at FHS for all my senior school, so I started in year seven and went all the way through to Sixth Form. Previously, I was at Queen's Gate for Junior School and I think I just wanted to have a bit of a change, to be honest. The outdoor space at Francis Holland is great. In so many of the schools in central London, you just feel like a bit of a rabbit in a warren and having that outdoor space in the middle was amazing. I remember at the Open Day, I was thinking to myself how much I like the school, and I hadn't really had that feeling with any of the other schools that I attended.

What's your fondest memory from your school days, and why does it stand out to you today?

I would say the friendships that I've made. To be honest, probably the science lessons, although I have nothing to do with science now, I did Biology, Chemistry, Physics for GCSE and then for A levels I did Physics and Chemistry. I just remember spending a lot of time in the science block and had amazing science teachers, especially Miss McLaren, who I think we all thought of as our mum at school and Doctor Upcott too, both were just incredible teachers. I have very fond memories of those classes because they never treated us as though we were kids. They very much treated us as though we were adults, they were amazing. I loved those classes.

How did you come to be in your current role?

I studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at University with no intention of going into law. In the summer of my second year of University, I did an internship at the Centre Health Policy part of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London. The Internship took place at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London.

I always wanted to do something within the health sector, and it was through that, that I realised that I wanted to become a lawyer. All the people around me were either doctors, academic doctors or lawyers. I thought that I was probably more aligned with the legal way of thinking. So, through that I decided to apply to Kingsley Napley in their regulatory department, which was very much working within the health sector. But whilst working there I also always had a passion for the arts. I used to spend a huge amount of my spare time going to exhibitions. My mum is an artist, and it was through her that I discovered the Institute of Art and Law. Until then, I hadn’t realised there was such a specific niche within the art world. I began attending their talks and half day seminars, which feature lawyers from various sectors. One of the first events I joined was a weekend seminar during the COVID lockdown, it really opened my eyes to the intersection of art and law. An inspirational woman spoke, she was a partner at a law firm. I emailed her after the talk to ask if she’d be open to a chat, as I wanted to learn how she got to where she was. Her career trajectory sounded exactly like what I thought I wanted for myself, and she very kindly responded. We had a Zoom coffee during COVID, and she said she was quite impressed with the experience I’d gained in my current job. She encouraged me to apply for an internship at her firm.

This prompted me to leave my job at the time, complete my final year of legal studies, and then pursue the internship. However, between finishing my studies and starting the internship, she transitioned into a new role as Head of EMEA for Commercial Legal at Sotheby’s. I reached out to her again, and she invited me to apply for a paralegal position there.

I ended up getting the job and didn’t pursue the internship at the law firm. I qualified while working at Sotheby’s, gaining valuable in-house experience, (what we refer to as qualifying work experience) and completed additional exams. That’s how I eventually became Legal Counsel at Sotheby’s.

So far what has been the most interesting part of your role at Sotheby's?

I would say it’s the breadth of the work, the huge variety. Every single day brings something different. One of my colleagues, who’s been here for eighteen and a half years and is an incredible lawyer, will still call me and say, “Can I run this past you?” because there’s always something new to figure out. That’s just the nature of the industry.

The novelty hasn’t worn off, especially knowing I’m drafting agreements for artists I genuinely admire. It keeps the work exciting.

I also enjoy the international scope of what we do. I oversee matters in Milan and Cologne, where we have offices, as well as in the Middle East. Working in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai has been a steep learning curve because the legal systems in these jurisdictions are so different, but that’s exactly what makes it so interesting.

If you could go back in time and speak to your younger self during school, what would you say to the younger Anna?

I would say that it’s important to have an idea of what you want to do but also be flexible enough to let that change. It’s good to have a goal, but not to be so fixed on it for the sake of being fixed, if that makes sense.

When I was at school, I originally wanted to study medicine. I was really committed to it; I started studying for the BMAT and took all sciences for my A levels.

I remember one group discussion on a school trip to visit a university, where some students were considering studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics. I remember feeling a bit jealous and thinking, “That sounds so interesting; I wish I was doing that.” I think I went home, and my parents said, “Well, you could be one of those people. Just because you’ve set your mind on medicine doesn’t mean you can’t change.” There’s no failure in that.

I think I allowed myself to let go of those rigid goals. So, I would say: have your goals but also be open to letting them evolve as you gain more insight into what you really want to do.

Best quote you live by and why?

I would say it’s something that a lot of people mention, but my mum often tells me to be kind to myself. I think that’s especially important for the Francis Holland girls, at least the ones I’m still friends with. Sometimes, we can be very hard on ourselves, and we don’t really need people around us to push us because that’s just who we are. While that drive is great for achieving your goals, it’s also important to take a step back and recognise that you are doing well. It’s crucial not to be too hard on yourself. So, I would say: be kind to yourself.

It’s something I try to remind the people around me, though I find it harder to apply to myself.

If you would like to take part in Portrait of Alumna, please email alumni@fhs-sw1.org.uk