Best brains in...

Legal charges, working with investors and developers to settle property requirements on institutional lending and the security aspects of large property portfolios.

Highlight of your career so far?

Completing a £200 million refinance secured on a large investment portfolio for a publicly-listed property client.

Most challenging job you've ever done?

Leading a team of 25 lawyers on the property due diligence and security aspects of a £200 million bond issue undertaken by a housing association client and secured against over 7,400 properties was not without its challenges.

What about outside the UK?

Much of the work I do has an international element to it, which provides a superb opportunity to develop our international relationships. I have good relations with clients and lawyers based in Copenhagen, Vancouver and the British Virgin Islands. I'm proud to say that the real estate finance team joined the Legal 500 rankings on the back of its financing work with Danish property investors.

What's your definition of going the extra mile... And when have you done it?

I like to get out and meet with my clients and contacts in Copenhagan when I can – this reflects a level of commitment and loyalty to my clients while giving me an opportunity to learn about the marketplace they are operating in.

Best example of a creative legal solution?

Creative thinking is part of what we do, balancing technical advice with a commercial imperative to "do the deal". This means giving clients the ability to pre-empt issues they will come across when borrowing or lending money to be secured against property.

When have you ever given a client a real competitive edge?

I enjoy getting to know my clients, understanding their business and the commercial drivers behind their instructions. When I develop relationships with my clients, I am in it for the long term – through the good times and the bad. I listen to my clients to understand how they want me to approach any particular transaction and I work hard to get the result they want.

What's your single greatest contribution to Wragge & Co's corporate responsibility?

I'm a supervisor at the Birmingham Legal Advice Clinic, a free "drop in" advice clinic based in the centre of Birmingham and staffed by Wragge & Co volunteers. The clinic provides legal advice and support on all civil law matters for those who might not otherwise have access to a solicitor.

What's been written or said about you that you're most proud of?

Two quotes stand out:

"In an environment of technical legal concepts, Robin has impressed by identifying the points that are commercially important to us and delivering them using just the right mix of composed, considered reasoning and (rarely but always effectively used) forceful argument."

(The director of a property development client)

"I know that all of us at our firm who have used Wragge & Co over the past few years have been very satisfied and it is through your efforts that the relationship has been greatly enhanced."

(Senior partner in a leading Canadian law firm)