Mihaela Padure, was born in Romania which she left in 2008 to move to London. It has been a challenging journey to move somewhere where your language is not your native - in her case one which she never studied in school (at the time Romania driven by communist parties and other languages were in the agenda, such as Russian), starting all over which meant leaving her legal career in Romania behind and retraining as a lawyer.
It is in London where Mihaela became the proud mother of her 3-year-old son Anthony, qualified as a solicitor, and even set up her own law practice, Forest & Co. Solicitors . At present, she has plans to open three further offices, in Birmingham, Liverpool and Leicester.
Mihaela have strong links with both the Romanian and Asian communities who form an important part of her client base.
Her favorite quote is: “I am easily satisfied with the very best” - Winston Churchill
1 Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?
I consider myself privileged as I have two homes. It is difficult to say whether England is my home or Romania. I love London, I have made the decision to move here on my first visit, back in 2008. I remember my sister and I travelling from the airport to the hotel and, as I was fascinated by the greatness of this historic city, I told her: “that is the city I would like to live in”…I guess, in a way London felt like home since that very moment.
2 What are your proudest achievements?
My son along with my balanced private and professional life. Also, the fact that my mom, my sister and my brother followed suit in moving to London and they have all been working with me during the years. My siblings, younger than me, are also Solicitors, which makes me ever prouder as I understand I have set a model for them.
I am also involved in various charitable projects; helping people in need is a priority to me, however, I feel that we all need to do much more than we are doing at present as we are living in an increasingly inequal world.
3 What inspires you?
Resilient people and those with values, a sincere smile, life, the natural.
4 What has been biggest obstacle in your career?
When I moved to London, as just mentioned, I had to start all over again in a way. I had no professional experience in my field in the UK and that was the biggest challenge for me, since I was excelling in my field back in Romania. It involved hard work and much patience to catch up and reach the current status. I have always believed in my capabilities and that helped very much me to face any challenge which came my way.
5 Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
My mum has been a true inspiration to me throughout the years, ever since I was little. She has always encouraged me to persevere and fulfill my dreams, reminding me that everything is possible. My father had also played an important role into guiding me to pick a legal career. As a child, I was seeing myself as a theatre actress; it was my father who advised me to manifest that desire into advocacy in the court room instead. Looking back, I now understand what he meant and am very grateful for his advice.
6 What is the best aspect about your current role?
I like building long lasting professional relationships, particularly as a lawyer since I always feel like I am making a difference - and always the right one. Forest and Co. Solicitors is not only a business to me, it is personal.
7 And the worst?
Some cases are highly sensitive. Family and Criminal law cases are sometimes stressful as the lives of those clients whom I am assisting in these areas are subject to the legal system and we, as solicitors, are not only part of that system but also the people into whom our clients put their a great deal of trust and hope. Although we are not personally involved, I must say that at times the more sensitive cases can indeed take a toll on us.
8 What are your long term goals?
Having a fulfilled and healthy family life, not compromising on the other things I care about for my professional career and vice versa, have more children, run a charity, and grow my business into a successful international boutique law firm.
9 If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
I would request the Leaders of the Houses for the government’s legislative programme to conduct a detailed review over the Immigration and Family laws. That would be a priority on my agenda.
10 If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
Queen Marie of Romania was the last Queen of Romania; she was the wife of King Ferdinand I. Princess Marie of Edinburgh was a descendant of a family with dynastic traditions, as the second child of Alfred Duke of Edinburgh, the son of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, and Maria Alexandrovna, the daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia. She married the heir to the Romanian throne.
Through her intelligence, beauty, diplomacy and generosity, she immediately attracted the sympathy of Romanians all over, and later became, through her contribution to the war effort and by supporting many social and cultural causes, one of the most beloved and revered personalities of the realm. I believe such time on an island with her not only would be devoid of boredom, but also of any risk to run out of practical ideas for our survival.
