Following the announcement of their promotion to the partnership, we caught up with our five new partners to chat to them about what drives them, the importance of a work-life balance, and some of the key lessons they have learnt during their career so far. In this edition of the series, we spoke with Anoushka Warlow, new partner at BCL and trusted 'monster hunting' assistant to her three year old daughter.

How are you feeling about becoming a new partner at BCL and what are you hoping to bring to your new role?

"Delighted! BCL's partnership is made up of the most talented white collar crime lawyers in the industry and to be invited to join them is a little bit mind-blowing. I'm really looking forward to doing my part to maintain and enhance BCL's market-leading position, but mostly I'm excited to get stuck in and – alongside my other newly appointed partners – bring some young(ish!), fun and new energy to the partnership."

Reflecting on your own career so far, what advice would you give to those that are beginning a career in criminal law?

"There is no substitute for hard work, and there is no substitute for reading the papers. You can add value from day 1 of your career by making sure that you're on top of the detail. The person who knows the documents best is the most important member of the team."

What trends have you seen developing in the criminal law sector over the last few years and where do you see the industry heading in the future?

"This is an interesting time for financial crime lawyers. The Serious Fraud Office has faced heavy criticism after some recent high-profile failures and will no doubt be keen in the next few years to increase its focus on prosecuting individuals in order to re-establish its credibility as an effective prosecuting agency, as opposed to one which is disproportionately focussed on securing lucrative Deferred Prosecution Agreements with corporate suspects."

We all know balancing work vs life is at times difficult so how do you maintain a good balance of meaningful time away from work vs the commitments of a working week?

"I actually have two jobs. By day I'm a lawyer, but by evening I take on the infinitely more important job of monster-hunting with my three-year-old. Some effective time management and expectation setting usually means I can dedicate sufficient time to both."

How do you relax outside of work and what or where would be your ideal weekend away?

"Like most lawyers I am unhealthily competitive and so I like to unwind after a long day by trying to beat my Personal Best on the Peloton bike. But an ideal weekend for me involves spending quality time with my family and friends; throw in some sun, sea, and a cocktail (or two) and it would be just perfect."