Jan Kümper
My name is Jan Kümper and I am originally from Germany. I have lived in both the Netherlands and Spain throughout my studies, and recently moved to Luxembourg for work. I studied the Master of Laws (LL.M.) at IE Law School and am now working for PwC. I would describe myself as open-minded, straightforward and stubborn.
"…what appealed to me most was its comparative approach, as well as the combination of law and business."
Tell us about your interests—what are you passionate about?
I am generally interested in a lot of different things. Whatever grasps my attention can occupy me for several weeks, or even months. Professionally, I’m very interested in the fund industry, in particular private equity. It’s always interesting to see how professional investors take investment decisions and carry them out. Outside of professional passions, I love playing sports, especially tennis. I played a lot of tennis while studying in Madrid, especially because the weather is just amazing all year round.
What did your professional career look like before the Master of Laws (LL.M.) at IE Law School?
As part of my law studies, I worked within the Legal Department of a family-owned German multinational. While I was there, I got a 360-degree view of the way in which a corporation’s legal department is organized. This was both incredibly varied and interesting, especially the mergers and acquisitions work.
Tell us about your current role and functions.
Nowadays, I work as a tax associate at PwC, where I’m part of the alternative investment team. We work closely with our clients, lawyers and other PwC offices to provide tax advice throughout the life cycle of their investments. That runs from the setup and funding, through ongoing advice, to the exit.
As an associate at PwC, you work on a lot of interesting projects from the very beginning. You gather a lot of knowledge and get a lot of exposure, something that the LL.M. at IE Law School prepared me for perfectly.
Why did you choose IE Law School to pursue your Master of Laws (LL.M.)?
Even though the program was on my radar for a while because of its practical approach, I only started looking into IE Law School more closely because of the pandemic. At the time, IE University was the only university offering a hybrid model that enabled students to take classes in person as well as online. I really appreciated that flexibility, since it gave us students the freedom to have a “normal” university experience by attending classes in person and at the same time enjoy the perks of studying online.
What specific attributes of the program caught your attention?
When first looking into the program, what appealed to me most was its comparative approach, as well as the combination of law and business. You gain widespread exposure to different areas of law, ranging from financial accounting to capital markets law or even data. All of these are areas you will encounter in your working life.
If you are uncertain about your future career path, the Master of Laws (LL.M.) will help you in your decision-making. If you do know what you want to do, you’ll have a great choice of electives, learn from renowned professors, and make great connections in your chosen industry.
What advice would you give someone considering pursuing the same program, and what are the most important takeaways from it?
Make use of the opportunity that studying at IE Law School brings. You will be part of an amazing group of people, not only within your class but within the entire IE Community. Many of the connections you will make will become close friends.
Be open-minded. The Master of Laws (LL.M.) offers great insights into recent legal and business developments and trends. You will learn from experienced experts and practitioners by listening to what they have to say and share.
And finally, enjoy it and make the most of your time there.
