S2E3 - Meet The Team: Alex Rosenfield

Meet Alex Rosenfield, Partner and long-standing member of the Fenchurch Law team.

Alex reflects on his journey through the firm, from Associate to Partner, and how the nature of his day-to-day work has evolved. He shares insights into the realities of law firm partnership, the art of networking, and why building relationships has become a key part of his role.

Of course, no conversation with Alex would be complete without touching on his two great passions: films and football.

Warm, witty, and filled with insights, this episode offers a brilliant glimpse into Alex’s career journey, personality, and life at Fenchurch Law.

Transcript

Introduction and Quickfire Questions

Dru Corfield 0:03

Hello and welcome to a new podcast series hosted by Fenchurch Law. The series aims to introduce every member of our four offices in a short informal podcast. Today I'm delighted to be joined by Alex Rosenfield. A very warm welcome, alex. Before we dive into the pod, let's start with some quickfire questions Art or science.

Alex Rosenfield 0:20

Art.

Dru Corfield 0:21

Best film you've seen in the past two years in the cinema.

Alex Rosenfield 0:25

Oh gosh, what a question. I'm going to say Dune Part 2.

Dru Corfield 0:31

Oh, great film, Good shout. For the benefit of the listeners. Alex is a real film buff, Marvel or DC.

Alex Rosenfield 0:37

That's an also interesting question, because my favourite superhero is probably Batman, but I think overall I prefer the Marvel franchise.

Dru Corfield 0:50

Fair enough and unfair question for a Manchester United fan. Would you rather City or Liverpool won the league?

Alex Rosenfield 0:57

It's like asking me if I prefer death by drowning or being burned alive.

Dru Corfield 1:03

Probably City they're more tolerable answers uh, thanks very much, alex. And, as we've established, you've been here for several years and through your journey here at fenchurch law, you've been an associate, a senior associate, an associate partner and you're now a partner. Through all those stages, what would you say the main differences between the various stages?

Alex Rosenfield 1:26

uh, in this, for you have been specifically in a fenchurch context- the main difference in a work context is, I suppose at the junior level, your main role is to well almost exclusively is to do the work per se, and as time has passed and passed, and as I've graduated from one position to the next, the focus has shifted more away from doing the work to generating the work.

Dru Corfield 1:53

Sure, so more business development stuff. Yeah, absolutely being a rainmaker. And what's a common misconception people have about being a partner at a law firm?

Alex Rosenfield 2:02

I think One of the misconceptions certainly held by my wife is that most of my time is spent whining and dining all the time and entertaining, whereas undoubtedly some of that time is spent entertaining. It's not the only thing I do, but obviously there's more of a focus now than there ever has been on generating connections and cultivating relationships.

Partner Life Misconceptions

Dru Corfield 2:26

Yeah, which is easy, and compro, because you guys are out at events the entire time. I don't know why the construction and property industries in this country seem to forever be falling out.

Alex Rosenfield 2:38

The red carpet for goal is and yeah, and I think it's also something that some people are just more naturally better at than others I don't think I've always been a a gifted networker, but it's something that I've certainly got better at over time. I don't think I've always been a a gifted networker, but it's something that I've certainly got better at over time.

Dru Corfield 2:51

I think I've learned a lot for you in that regard. Well, that's very kind. And moving on to a sort of I don't want to describe it as a silly question, but a more sort of open-ended question, if you weren't a solicitor, what do you think you'd be doing right now?

Alex Rosenfield 3:05

Wow, my gosh, when I was younger, I wanted to do nothing in my time other than watch films, and I don't go to the cinema anything close to as much as I used to.

Dru Corfield 3:19

But, yeah, something involving movies or being a film critic, I can see you being very good at that.

Alex Rosenfield 3:26

Thank you.

Dru Corfield 3:27

And Alex, you sing a lot in the Office. It cuts through the noise. It's quite entertaining. If there was one song that best described you, what would that song be?

Alex Rosenfield 3:36

Probably Tina Turner Simply the Best. I think that's very accurate.

London vs Leeds Office Culture

Dru Corfield 3:43

Yeah, okay, sure, and you're one of the few people who frequents both the London and Leeds offices, I should say what do you think the main difference between the two is in terms of sort of vibe?

Alex Rosenfield 3:57

I would say that the London office has a bit more of a serious vibe, which isn't to say that the Leeds office is casual or anything like that. It's not at all. It's just. I think the nature of being in the city, where you're surrounded by Lloyds and just brokers absolutely everywhere, is that there's just more of a serious vibe and a serious energy. I think.

Dru Corfield 4:24

Yeah, I'd agree with that.

Alex Rosenfield 4:25

Also, the food cupboard in the Leeds office is significant, is significant.

Dru Corfield 4:28

yeah, well, that's actually preempted my next question. I was going to say who has the best snack cupboard, london or leeds?

Alex Rosenfield 4:35

leeds without a shadow of a doubt that whereas what have they got up there? Oh, all sorts. It's like an aladdin's cave in their cupboard. Uh, whereas we seem to have a tray of snacks, they seem to have at least two cupboards full of different snacks yeah, yeah, and ours are all sort of meant to be somewhat healthy, whereas I think they have the real deal. Yeah, Leeds don't really care about that so much.

Dru Corfield 4:54

They just seem to have a lot more fun in general up north.

Alex Rosenfield 4:57

They do. Well, that's true of all northerners.

Dru Corfield 4:59

And final sort of. I'm not even sure there's going to be a question here, but an observation, but we should draw attention to the fact that you and I worked at the same company, although sadly at different times. So I trained at Elborn Mitchell and I think you were there for a year and a half or so. When did you leave Elborn?

Alex Rosenfield 5:17

I left Elborn Mitchell in. I'm trying to remember it was very, very close to before I joined the French church, so it would have been, I think, around the start of April.

Dru Corfield 5:29

Of 2017?

Closing Thoughts

Alex Rosenfield 5:30

Yeah, April 17. And then I started at Fenschurch on April the 24th.

Dru Corfield 5:35

Well, alex, thanks very much for sitting down with me. I've thoroughly enjoyed chatting to you and I also thoroughly enjoy working with you. And, yeah, just thanks for your time. I know you're a busy man, being a fairly new, recent partner.

Alex Rosenfield 5:49

Thank you, Drew. This has been a real treat.

Dru Corfield 5:53

Thanks, Alex Thank you.