Governance Committee

Michael joined Coward Chance as an articled clerk in October 1963 and qualified in March

1966. He remained with Coward Chance, becoming a partner in January 1971. Initially he

had a fairly broad commercial practice but over time it became more and more concentrated

on banking and finance.

He was directly involved in the negotiations which resulted in the merger of Coward Chance

and Clifford-Turner in May 1987, resulting in Clifford Chance, then the largest law firm in the

City of London. He retired from Clifford Chance at the end of July 2000.

He chaired the committee of the City of London Law Society from January 1992 to

December 1994 and was a member of the Council of the Law Society from 1995 to 2004,

holding the office of President in 1998/99. He was Master of the Worshipful Company of

Solicitors of the City of London in 1999/2000.

He was a Trustee of the National Justice Museum from 2008 to 2024.

Rebecca completed her LPC with The University of Law in Moorgate, funded by a Law Society Diversity Bursary. She describes herself as a career changer, having run a small business in California in her twenties organising music events across the States.

After transitioning to law, she has been working on the legal aspects of trading instruments (most recently in a VP role) within the financial sector mainly on the sell side but has had some buy side experience. 

In her spare time Rebecca collaborates on a Philosophy Society with some of her former work colleagues.

Yasmine holds a B.A. in Political Studies from the American University of Beirut, an LLB from

Queen Mary University and an LLM in Legal Practice from the University of Law. 

Currently, she works at a wealth management company where she works on legal and corporate

governance matters.

James Tapley completed his LPC with the University of Law. He has worked in private

practice and in-house, with a focus on financial services. He is a solicitor with expertise

across derivatives and capital markets, regulatory and commercial work. 

James also has a wealth of experience leading on product growth, digital transformation and multi-jurisdiction expansion projects. 

He works as a lawyer at an investment bank and is a board advisor to

companies looking to grow and expand.

Vanessa completed her LLB in Law at Birkbeck in 2016 and completed her LPC LLM at The University of Law in 2019. She currently works as a compliance analyst for OFGEM.  Previously she was working at the Insolvency Service, working on behalf of the Official Receiver dealing with bankruptcy and liquidation cases. 

She has spent most of her working life contracting within Local Authority, NHS and Private Firms, Vanessa has a lot of commercial awareness and regulatory liaison experience due to her years in Compliance with the FCA and Bank of England. 

In her spare time Vanessa is currently studying to be a Level 4 Fitness Instructor as she is passionate about helping others with their fitness goals.

Jenny has a civil law background gained with a law degree from Bologna University and subsequently completed the GDL and the LPC at the University of Law. Jenny works in the energy industry and is currently part of the Legal and Business Affairs department at Eni UK Limited. She has supported major M&A transactions and works closely with senior management and board members. 

Jenny has extensive experience in general corporate and company law, corporate governance, risk and compliance, focusing on the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Jenny started her career in the international real estate practice of a law firm (Italian desk) and she also volunteered at a legal clinic in London.

Islam Khan is an alumnus of the University of Law, where he completed his undergraduate

degree in Law. He is currently studying for an LLM in Legal Practice with the College of

Legal Practice alongside preparing for the SQE1 and SQE2 examinations.

Alongside his legal studies, Islam works as a Sales Manager within BT Group’s

telecommunications division, where he focuses on training and developing sales executives.

Islam is working towards a career in law, combining his legal education with professional

experience in management, communication and training.

Natasha completed an undergraduate degree in business administration and then studied the GDL with us in 2017. After her GDL, she has worked in three high-street law firms, focusing on different areas of law including:  criminal law, family law, wills & probate, commercial property, housing law, immigration, and asylum. 

She is currently working at Dexters.

Pietro is a Senior Paralegal in the Housing Litigation team at Capsticks, with experience

advising on a broad range of housing disputes and contentious matters. Having developed a

strong foundation in litigation practice, he will commence a TC with the firm in 2027,

continuing his progression towards qualification as a solicitor.

A graduate of the University of Law, Pietro completed the LPC LLM in 2024, having

previously obtained an undergraduate degree from the University of Bristol.

With an Italian background, Pietro brings an international perspective alongside a pragmatic

and collaborative approach to legal practice, combining academic achievement with hands-

on experience.

Maria Joannou is a lawyer specialising in data protection, privacy, and AI. Outside work, she volunteers with charities like Shelter and explores her creative side through acting and improv.

Karen is a Dispute Resolution Associate. accomplished her first university degree at École Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland and later obtained a master’s degree in International Relations at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and Development Studies at the London School of Economics. 

Her experience working at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva inspired her to pursue a career in law. She studied the GDL and LPC/LLM at our London Moorgate campus.