Antonios Papadopoulos
Antonios Papadopoulos is a multilingual law graduate who completed legal education in Switzerland, Spain and the United States. Specialized in International Taxation, Antonios is currently working as a Transfer Pricing Analyst at Amadeus. During his year at IE Law School, he did an exchange program at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, which resulted in a unique experience that completed his global academic journey at IE. In this interview Antonios shares what he learned during his exchange at Northwestern and the differences between the American and European approach to the law.
"IE helps you see that there is so much more than what we call the 'black letter law."
What would you highlight from the education you received at IE?
At IE, they expect us to analyze and solve problems, rather than just coming up with a yes or no answer. Having a critical spirit and being resourceful is one of the most important things I learned from my experience.
I also learned how to be very proactive and how this attitude leads to unparalleled opportunities, so try to make the most out of IE´s network. I always meet someone from IE wherever I go. In every company I applied or interview I went, I always found someone from IE.
What was the most valuable lesson you learned in the program and do you apply it to your professional life today?
On a professional level, I think the program gave me great insight into what’s expected from an entry-level employee in a multinational company. Given that the corporate world often sees lawyers as a necessary expense, it is important to understand that our role within legal departments involves more than just giving people the green light. So one of the greatest takeaways of the program for me was the idea that an in-house lawyer is not a filter of what the company is or is not allowed to do, but rather a business partner.
What’s your current role?
I am currently working as a Transfer Pricing and International Tax Analyst at Amadeus Group in Madrid, Spain.
What would you highlight about your experience in the program? How did it help you enter the job market?
The highlight of the program for me was the quality of the faculty, the small size of the class, and the business-oriented approach. It’s getting harder and harder for companies to find candidates with skills that match their requirements, and I think IE succeeded in setting up a program that prepares students for the needs of the legal landscape in 2019. I believe the business classes we took and real-life cases we had to work on gave us an edge in the job market, especially those of us who had no previous job experience (which was my case upon graduation).
What are the key takeaways from your experience in Northwestern Pritzker School of Law?
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law is known for its business faculty and its business approach, so I took most of my classes in business principles and international law, areas that interest me the most. It was an amazing experience that helped me develop a 360-degree view of the profession. I had the opportunity to see the job market, how the world’s biggest economy works and how leading global law firms – that have their headquarters in Madrid- operate.
What did you learn from the experience at Northwestern?
The idea of education is very different. US law schools are more about training yourself and brain to search for information, rather than specializing in specific sections of the law, or any discipline really. At Northwestern, I learned to discern information while looking for case law and I learned to develop a critical spirit, which is something I also learned at IE.
The exchange program is a very good complement, because it is interesting to see how Americans train lawyers and prepare them for the legal profession, which is very different.
Although the approach to education in the US and Europe is different, I got to meet people from different cultures and see a unique mix of backgrounds, which is very enriching both at a professional and personal level.
How do you think the program has helped you become who you are today (professionally and personally)?
The program follows a very hands-on approach aimed at equipping students with a critical mindset, rather than mere lectures of “black-letter law.” One of the most important skills I acquired in the program is knowing where to look for information and which questions to ask.
Did you ever imagine that someday you would be working as an analyst at Amadeus?
I wasn’t familiar with the company before I started actively looking for jobs. However, even before the program, I was interested in working at a multinational, preferably publicly listed company—which is one of the reasons I decided to pursue a master’s degree at IE. Given my interest in the taxation field, I considered the technology sector to be perhaps the most exciting sector right now for a young tax expert.
What advice would you give to recently graduated students who are starting a new career path?
If you are not sure what area of law you would like to work in (which was my case), talk to your professors and to IE alumni, they will help you see what is the best fit for you, considering your background and your interests. IE is great at giving you a glimpse of all the different areas of the law, the different career options there are and the necessary resources so you can make a conscious decision of where you would like to work in.
“IE helps you see that there is so much more than what we call the “black letter law”. The legal profession is regulated, but with the skillset, critical spirit and international experience that IE gives you, you will definitely be able to have a successful career in any branch of business law you are interested in”
