Barrister Miles Beresford tells NZ Lawyer about the best advice he has ever been given and what he loves about his job.
Barrister Miles Beresford tells NZ Lawyer about the best advice he has ever been given and what he loves about his job.
What made you decide to become a lawyer?
Countless arguments with my mother.
How long have you worked at your firm for and what brought you to this position?
I’ve been a junior barrister to Grant Collecutt for about two years.
What’s the strangest case you’ve ever worked on/been involved with?
Strangest? By far the most unpredictable would have to be acting for the plaintiff in Blomfield v Slater. Two lay-litigants who despise each other gets pretty interesting. Other than that, anything criminal is pretty intriguing.
If you could invite three people for dinner, dead or alive and excluding family and friends, who would they be and why?
Larry David – I’d love to talk about nothing with him.
Sarah Palin – I think she’d be pretty good at accidentally lightening the tone.
Lord Hope – I would probably just talk shop with him all night.
You’re based in Auckland – where’s the best place to go for a drink and/or dinner after work?
This probably changes every other month, but Golden Dawn in Ponsonby is always a solid option.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given (work or personal)?
You’ve got two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Do you have any hobbies/interests outside of work?
In an ordinary weekend I’d go watch the cricket or meet up with friends. I’m good at going out for brunch. Anything more active than that is not my cup of tea.
Complete this sentence: If I wasn’t a lawyer, I would be…
Working fewer hours.
What do you think will be single biggest issue facing the legal space in New Zealand in 2015?
Privacy on the internet.
If you had John Key’s job for one day, what would you do?
Ask Obama if aliens are real.
What do you love about your job?
My independence. I can choose my own priorities and choose my own hours. I manage my own files, and do my own appearances. It’s the kind of freedom that isn’t normally afforded people that are two years out of law school.
What would you change about your job right now if you could?
Is this too clichéd? Probably nothing.
