This is what it says on my business card: 

• Dr. Tassilo du Mesnil de Rochemont
• Lawyer  
• Associate for Talent Management

Specialisation:

• Intellectual property and competition law, commercial 

Why did you choose FPS? 
The firm offers a great mix both professionally and personally. As a full-service law firm, FPS covers the entire spectrum of commercial law. There are experts for every legal question and if a client has an issue outside of one’s own area of expertise, you do not have to send them away, but can handle the mandate on an interdisciplinary basis. Further, unlike in really big law firms, it is nice that you get to know all your colleagues personally within a short period, even across offices, whether through client work, workshops or social events. The structure of the law firm also brings a great diversity at client level: From the one-person limited liability company to the global corporation. The firm is neither too big nor too small and the overall package makes FPS the perfect fit for me. 
It is also exciting that the opening of the new Munich office in January 2024 gave us the opportunity to help establish the fifth FPS location. An opportunity like this does not happen very often and I am delighted to have the chance to shape it. 

What is special about the firm? 
FPS simply has a good spirit. Working together is fun and also works very well across disciplines. One reason for this is certainly that FPS has great continuity, as many of the colleagues have been part of the team for a long time and identify with their firm.

What do you particularly like about your day-to-day work?
As a lawyer, you often act as a link between the client, the opponent and the court. This means that both the tasks and the attitude and skills required for this vary greatly: While confrontation, spontaneity and quick-wittedness are often required at a court hearing, cooperation, mutual understanding and organisational skills are more important in contract negotiations in order to advance, deepen and elaborate on critical points. In contrast to the communicative court and client appointments, there is the legal work at the desk. When drafting a pleading or a contract, you deal with legal problems in depth, work on a viable argument or fine-tune a good solution. This range of activities makes my day-to-day work challenging and at the same time ensures that it never gets boring.

What do you think makes starting a career in your field attractive?
As already mentioned, our team is involved in advising and negotiating as well as conducting court proceedings. In this way, associates get to know all facets of the legal profession right from the start and quickly find out where their personal strengths lie and what they would like to focus on in the long term. 

What three terms do you associate with the word law?
Perseverance, flexibility, diligence.

What advice would you give any young lawyer? 
Do not commit yourself too early to one area of law or one law firm structure and look at as many areas of law as possible during internships, academic work and your legal traineeship. In practice, many areas of law present themselves differently than in training and you may not get to know some areas at all. Stay interested and keep an open mind in order to find the ideal field of work and the right employer later on.