Michael Hartleben

Michael Hartleben studied Law at the University of Reading and went on to qualify to practice law in New York and Russia. He has worked in private practice and legal departments in several large organisations and specialises in international corporate transactions, commercial contracts, and disputes.

Michael, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am originally from Berlin, Germany where I attended a British public school. I came to Reading in 2005 to study law and then went on to qualify to practice law in New York and Russia. Over the years, I worked in private practice and in-house, and currently I am the lead attorney for the worldwide underground business of a German construction company. Outside of the professional environment, I like to travel, preferably to somewhat remote locations, read books, go to the theatre, and spend time with my family.

Why did you decide to become a mentor with THRIVE?

In the summer before my undergraduate studies at Reading, I made the acquaintance of a man on a plane, who had been very fond of the novel Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar by Jules Verne which is set in Siberia, Russia. I told this man about my plans to travel from Berlin to Vladivostok through Siberia by bicycle and jokingly agreed to send him a postcard from Irkutsk, the destination of Verne's protagonist. I followed upon on my promise and we stayed in touch. Later it transpired that he is a lawyer and an incredibly smart and interesting person, too. I interned with him during my university studies doing part-time work until graduation. I found his involvement in my life to be of great value, both on a personal as well as professional level, which led me to strive to do the same for someone else.

How did you start down your own career path?

My life plan for after graduation was to circumnavigate the world using only human power together with a friend: travel overland to the Bering Strait, walk and swim across it, cycle to South America, and row across the Atlantic Ocean. When doing research for the trip in Russia, I met my then future wife, who was a practicing litigator. For the better part of one year, I tried to convince her that polar bears would not eat me, I would not get lost at sea, and that waiting for me for at least two years would be a reasonable idea. In the end, I was extremely fortunate to land a junior position at a Russian Tier 1 law firm in international dispute resolution, where I began to work with a group of very inspiring Russian and US lawyers.

Looking back, what advice would you give yourself when starting out in your career?

I think I am generally content about where I am right now and about how I got here. I had a strong desire for a certain degree of professional freedom and that was my main driver. I worked hard, did not compromise on the quality of my work, and good things happened. I guess I could have benefited from a greater degree of patience, enjoyed the moment a little more, but youth and patience rarely go together.

What is your style of mentoring?

The mentoring relationship requires dedication from mentor and mentee. I try to be available at all times and in turn expect my mentee to be willing to learn from our interaction. There is usually a kick off voice or video call where we get to know each other, discuss our expectations, and establish some soft rules of engagement. Communication then progresses depending on the needs of the mentee. Where I believe it is beneficial for the mentee to read or prepare certain materials in advance of our interaction, I expect the mentee to invest the required time to ensure that our interaction is meaningful and, most importantly, that the mentee can learn from it.

What skills or knowledge do you value in a student who is looking for a graduate role?

I would advise graduates to remain open-minded, curious, and willing to learn, not only after graduation, but also throughout their professional life. The law and civilisation as a whole are evolving at an ever more increasing pace, and there is a strong shift away from knowledge retention to knowledge acquisition. Professional life is full of learning curves, and I believe that those who have the skills to acquire knowledge and are willing to apply themselves time and time again will enjoy the fruit of their labour in the form of interesting and gratifying work.

What do you hope to achieve as a mentor?

I come from a non-legal family background and had a very limited understanding of the career options that are available, what it means to be a lawyer, the training that is required, the application process, and pretty much everything that can be of relevance to an undergraduate law student. I believe that the transfer of insider knowledge is a key aspect of the role of mentor, especially to those mentees, who have a non-legal family background.