An Abu Dhabi-based entertainment lawyer who flies to the UK for study days at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has been named Middle East Legal Counsel of the Year.
Nicola Packer says she is delighted to have been recognised by the Corporate Counsel Middle East Awards, which celebrate exceptional achievement, for her role with Flash Entertainment.
Nicola Packer, centre, receives her award
Her job involves providing legal support for major live events - from music concerts by Rihanna to sports tournaments featuring tennis ace Novak Djokovic - which she combines with studying for her DMU Master of Business Administration for Lawyers (distance learning).
To win the award, Nicola had to demonstrate her strengths to a panel of expert judges in four key areas - leadership, initiative, legal skills and client satisfaction - with her DMU course a contributory factor.
Nicola said: "I was delighted to get an award and be recognised for what I'm able to do and have already done, especially as the job is a lot of fun."
The 35-year-old, who has previously worked in the UK and Singapore, decided to enrol at DMU to further enhance her career prospects.
She said: "I was looking for a new way to develop my career without changing industry or jurisdiction.
"The course looked interesting and unique and doing it from a distance means I can continue with my job.
"I can focus on my enthusiasm for being a lawyer while developing wider skills to enable me to more effectively support a business strategically."
Although Nicola received assistance with her course fees, she is taking annual leave and paying for her own flights to attend study weekends in Leicester, which help her stay motivated.
She said: "It is a way of engaging with the course and chatting with fellow students. The tutors are great and Programme Leader Martyn Kendrick is very supportive."
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Nicola is due to graduate in 2017 and says the skills she has developed will enable her to take on a more senior post. Meanwhile, she is very happy with her exciting legal role.
She said: "People often ask me why an entertainment company needs a lawyer. As a legal team, we help to reduce the risk involved in putting on live events, whether that's through negotiating the contracts to record commercial deals - we are trying to raise the standards of contracts for entertainment deals in the Middle East - protecting intellectual property rights, advising on regulatory requirements or supporting other business functions.
"It takes a lot of hard work to put on a successful live show."
Plus there are great perks, with Muse and the Rolling Stones among the artists Nicola has seen perform live.
She said: "Much of the work we do is before the event, so barring any on-the-night emergencies I get to enjoy the event itself."
Nicola has always wanted to be a lawyer. She said: "I was advised that my undergraduate degree was my last chance to study something I had an interest in outside of law, so I studied history and then did a law conversion course."
After graduating, Nicola worked as a trainee and then solicitor in the UK before becoming a legal counsel for Dyson Ltd.
She said: "I was asked to go to Singapore and Malaysia to set up a legal team, which was very exciting, especially as I was quite junior.
"I came back to the UK but was always looking for the next challenge, so went to the United Arab Emirates.
"It's interesting to experience another culture and way of living and the weather is fantastic most of the year!"
Posted on Monday 6 June 2016