Nermine Tahoun, founder and managing partner at Tahoun Law Firm: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Nermine Tahoun, founder and managing partner at Tahoun Law Firm (LinkedIn). Edited excerpts from our conversation:

My name is Nermine Tahoun. I’m a corporate lawyer specialized in helping, advising, and providing services to investors in Egypt — and at times throughout the MENA region. I specialize in public-private partnerships and concessions. I’ve been working as a corporate lawyer for 25 years, and I’ve been handling the management of Tahoun Law Firm since 2010. Prior to that, I worked at the Shalakany Law Office, DLA Piper, and I was the head of the legal department at the Finance Ministry — which helped me build an understanding of governmental inner workings and how to navigate public-private partnerships.

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I graduated from the Faculty of Law’s English section at Cairo University. In fact, I was among its very first graduates. I then got my master’s degree from the College of Law of England and Wales and my doctorate from Middlesex University. I’ve been working in the Egyptian market for 25 years now, and I’ve provided services in other markets, such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. When the investors I’m working with want to move around, I move around with them.

As a lawyer, my main responsibility is towards my clients. Whatever services they require, I provide — and sometimes they’re very, very urgent. These services, for example, pertain to licensing, contracts, documentation drafting and revisions, and public- and private-sector negotiations. Given the nature of my job, I have to be very familiar with all sorts of different businesses and sectors in which my clients operate, their inner workings, and how they operate in the market.

When I started Tahoun Law Firm in late 2009, I was just leaving my position at the Finance Ministry. I was eager to throw myself back into the market. Tahoun exists to help investors operate in Egypt and navigate between the private sector and the government in a manner that is both smooth and stable. Making investors feel secure is a very challenging undertaking, as they’re often faced with very stubborn and old-fashioned procedures. At the end of the day, for me, it’s all about making sure both the investor and the government are content — I would say I’ve succeeded in doing this.

Technology is changing how we practice law. It’s not an easy thing to absorb when you hear someone telling you that tech or AI can replace you at some point in time. For me, however, I’m flexible. We have recently launched our app, Tahoun Smart, through which certain procedures are made accessible. I’ve had the certification for it from the CIT Ministry for quite some time now, since 2017 actually. Marketing is still a work in progress, but I do believe that this will be the coming trend in law — basic procedures will be made easy through technology. No hassle, no back and forth, and lower costs. Naturally, everything would be supervised by actual lawyers to ensure concrete advice.

When it comes to my morning routine, it’s quite simple, really. The first thing I do is follow up on the news, particularly CNN, then I have my breakfast and coffee. My mornings are usually spent with my dogs — I have a lot of dogs; I take them on walks, and we play around in the garden for a while. Then I go back home, get dressed, and get ready for the work day ahead of me.

The average workday is filled with meetings with other lawyers and clients, drafting contracts, and solving problems. I start work at 10am and finish at 7pm. A constant in my day, however, is always arguing with other lawyers. It’s in our nature, you know, to debate like hell. When it comes to staying focused throughout the day, it’s a whole lot of ups and downs. I’m a completely different person at work, and I wear a very different hat — that of my clients’ and investors’. Putting myself in every client and investor’s shoes is how I get myself to focus. What would they like? How would they want their problems solved? These are the questions I ask myself every day.

To put it plainly, I’m not that good at the whole work-life balance thing. When it comes to my private life, I enjoy the calm and the quiet. This can look like spending time with my pets, reading a book, seeing a movie — a great movie, the bar is high — writing, and keeping myself informed, especially when it comes to political and economic news, whether here, in Europe, or over in the US. It’s important to stay updated with everything that’s new — ideas, inventions, and politics. I’m not as outgoing as I used to be, and I keep a tight circle of friends that I catch up with every now and then.

One podcast I’d like to recommend is Elhal Eh? The host does an incredible job of discussing public policy and other timely matters with political and economic experts. While there’s no book in particular I’d like to recommend, I’d say reading about psychology is incredibly important. When it comes to movies, I love films with social messages, such as Pretty Woman and Bridget Jones’s Diary.

It all leads back to wanting to live a calm life. No unnecessary complications, no ups and downs, just peaceful living in the company of my dogs. As far as professional aspirations are concerned, though, I’m working on expanding Tahoun’s market share and visibility. I’d also like to pursue writing, but I haven’t figured that out just yet.

A piece of advice that has long stuck with me is “The more you give your work, the more it gives back.” It was one of my professors at law school who told me this, and I truly believe that it’s the most solid advice I’ve ever received. In practice, I can confidently say that it’s very true.

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