One of the many things I love about Bird & Bird is its entrepreneurial spirit, which permeates all levels of the firm.

In 2014 I was fortunate to land my dream qualification spot in the firm's sports group. Just under a year after qualifying, the head of the group asked all of the associates to think of new areas that the group should look to become involved in. Having read a little about the burgeoning esports (competitive video-gaming) industry, I decided to focus on this and pitched it to the partners. They were very receptive to the idea, and gave me the resource and time to explore the industry, learn how it works and make some contacts to see if there was any potential in it. Those initial steps have now grown into a global esports practice that encompasses the full range of advice that we give to clients in traditional sport, and it has also lead to me becoming more involved in the firm's broader video games practice.

There aren't many firms that would actively encourage, and continue to support, an initiative like this from a newly-qualified associate. It has been tremendously fulfilling at a personal level, particularly as the initiative grows and that early work expands into new territories and practice areas. Last year the head of the sports group invited me to write the esports chapter for the leading sports law text book, which is surely a sign of just how far we have come.