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For Social Mobility Day, we sat down with Iskander Fernandez, partner in Kennedys' London office, to talk about his background and progression into law. Iskander leads the white collar crime and investigations team and is one of the senior sponsors for the EMBRACE, Kennedys’ cultural and ethnic diversity network.
Iskander, let’s start from the beginning. Where did you grow up?
I was born in Yemen to a Yemeni mother and a Portuguese father, the latter who left home to make his life in the world; ending up in Yemen, where he met my mother.
I went to school in Yemen until the age of seven, before my parents decided to move to the UK as my father's business as an importer and exporter of Swedish timber meant that he was in Europe more than he was in Yemen.
I remember leaving Yemen on a hot day in 1985 and landing in Heathrow Airport to what I can only describe as a bitterly cold January evening – that was a first. I had never known cold like that. At first sight, things simply couldn't be more polar opposite from my life in Yemen.
At the time, I only spoke a few words of English and therefore struggled. I started school in a place where I looked different, couldn’t understand the language and knew no one. I felt overwhelmed and was very homesick. English language lessons were supplemented with my dad sticking us in front of the TV to watch children’s TV as that was the easiest way to learn English.
‘Home’ was initially Streatham for a couple of years, an area I absolutely hated because it wasn't diverse by any stretch of the imagination. I was picked on because of the colour of my skin, which was the first time I even noticed that as being an issue. The area wasn't the most welcoming of places to move to as an immigrant at the time.
We thankfully moved to central London two years later; to the Edgware Road area, which was far more vibrant and diverse in terms of the population. It was from that moment, in 1987, that I came to the realisation that this was now home. My entire schooling was completed here, primary school, secondary state school, whilst my parents continued to work in their business.
How did you find the transition to university and a law degree?
I absolutely loved it. I didn't expect to enjoy law as much as I did. I got on with people, made friends relatively quickly, and just generally enjoyed my time.
When it came to applying for vacation scheme placements and training contracts, the trap that many law students fell into was that the only option was to practise in a Magic Circle or Silver Circle firm – nothing else mattered. Hundreds of applications for training contracts would therefore be sent by students to those firms. I fell into the same trap. After many rejections, the drive remained but was repurposed. I needed to secure a training contract and qualify. I ended up applying to a firm based in Uxbridge and managed to secure a training contract with them. During one of my seats, I sat with the criminal team for six months, and I really enjoyed it. I liked the fact that I wasn’t stuck behind my desk endlessly looking at paperwork, and I enjoyed the interactions with people, going to court, going to the police station, etc. And that’s how I got into criminal law.
After a few years of working at the firm, one of the partners who had become my mentor said to me: “If you want to really progress your career, this place is too small to allow you to achieve that". Another mentor told me not to be scared of change and to take the leap; the parachute would always open. I therefore decided to leave that firm and moved to the City.
As soon as I qualified, my aim was to make partner by no later than the age of 40. I don’t know why 40 was the benchmark, but that’s something I wanted to achieve at that milestone.
Did you face any challenges during your career because of your background?
Without a shadow of a doubt, it did hold me back initially. My name was unusual; especially my first name. I would be invited for interviews and on many occasions be the only brown person in the room. I wasn't cut from the same cloth as others. I didn’t have parents who were lawyers or bankers. But I think overall it was just that I looked different, and I hadn’t gone to Oxbridge (I went to Queen Mary). The market was still stuck in its ways back then. I found that the only way to overcome this hurdle was to demonstrate my ability to do the job well. I used that as a motivating factor. That said, I still faced the old boys’ club approach by some partners. A few couldn’t pronounce my name and asked if they could shorten it or give me a nickname. I drew a line in the sand on that issue. I had no desire to dilute who I was.
Did you ever have to change the way you are to fit in?
Throughout my career, I have built relationships through my work and reputation. I am not very good at pretending to be someone else, so I am not going to go on any golf trips or talk about golf. I'm not a rugby person, either. Or cricket, which isn't a sport!
I have never changed or diluted my values, however, being true to myself as a junior member was the biggest challenge. When you’re young, you can easily go with the flow in order to impress; but I held firm. I didn’t go to all the boozy lunches or to the pub. I sought to educate colleagues on, for example, how Eid works and that when I was fasting, I may have to leave at slightly different times in the day. Firms were usually accommodating, and I have been able to remain true to my religious and cultural values whilst making sure my work was never impacted.
What would you say to upcoming talent?
Stay true to yourself and your values, but also try to learn and absorb as much as possible. Take part in conversations, listen and expose yourself to learn as much about what it is like to work at a law firm as you can.
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