Lloydette Bai-Marrow
Lloydette Bai-Marrow (Law and North American Studies 2001) is an anti-corruption expert and economic crime lawyer. She is the Founding Partner of ParaMetric Global Consulting, providing strategic advice and practical training to corporates and institutions.
Lloydette's story
Lloydette is a former Principal Investigative Lawyer within the UK Government’s Serious Fraud Office, where she provided legal advice and leadership on top tier cases of fraud, bribery and corruption in the UK and abroad. She has worked in UK government departments including the Crown Prosecution Service and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Lloydette is a Visiting Lecturer at The International Anti-Corruption Academy in Vienna and within the School of Law at the University of Hertfordshire.
How did you get started in the industry?
I worked as a paralegal for a couple of years and then got a Government Legal Service (GLS) training contract. I was a government lawyer for seven years before starting my own consultancy.
What's been the biggest challenge in your career so far and how did you overcome it? My first year as a qualified lawyer was spent prosecuting road traffic offences in Magistrates Courts all over London. I was in court at least four days a week, every week and it was exhausting! I discovered how much people hate being called bad drivers or having points on their licence.
As a newly qualified lawyer, it was like being thrown in the lion’s den and a very steep learning curve. After a few months of tears and brain ache, I grew to love being an advocate and focused on learning as much as I could. At the end of every day, I would review the trials and other hearings I had conducted and identify what could be improved and what went well. This daily review enabled a swift trajectory of growth and development as a lawyer.
What's the most surprising thing you've encountered in your industry?
An intrinsic part of being a lawyer is confidence. You can know the case law, the legislation and all the policies but you have to have the confidence to make a decision and be prepared to defend that decision. Our job requires us to make sound judgement calls everyday. It takes confidence to do that consistently, even if you sometimes make the wrong decision.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Doing what I love, on my own terms. It is exciting and challenging but I have a vision for my business and I am working towards it.