Neurodiversity Celebration Week – Q&A with Daniel Robin

Neurodiversity Celebration Week (NCW) is a global initiative aimed at challenging stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. As part of NCW, Deputy Managing Partner Dan Robin takes part in an open and insightful Q&A with Associate Dru Corfield, sharing his personal experiences and perspectives.

Dru: Hi Dan, thank you for agreeing to speak about your neurodiversity as part of neurodiversity week. It is an important conversation and something that the firm is big on supporting. I suppose the obvious first question is in what way are you neurodiverse?

Dan: I have dyspraxia.

Dru: And what does that mean to a layman? How does your dyspraxia manifest?

Dan: It affects my co-ordination, particularly hand-eye as my wife found out when we went (or tried to go) motorbike riding when we first met in Australia. Workwise it makes organisation challenging and has in the past affected my ability to write. It has also occasionally had an adverse effect on my time management.

Dru: How old were you when you were diagnosed, and what gave the game away?

Dan: 12. I think my parents sought a diagnosis based on issues with coordination and how disorganised I was with schoolwork.

Dru: What was the most difficult part of being dyspraxic as a teenager?

Dan: Back when I was in teenager in the late 90’s/early 00’s (don’t let the hairline fool you, I’m only 38) there was a real lack of awareness about dyspraxia, and at school the perception was that I was lazy and sloppy rather than ascertaining whether there was another reason behind it. It was also a challenge when first learning to drive, I started to learn on a manual car but quickly learnt that was not going to happen.

Dru: And how has public awareness of neurodiversity improved since you were diagnosed / a teenager?

Dan: It’s come on loads in the last 20 years. I think the biggest change is that neurodiversity has gone from being seeing as detrimental, to being accepted, to being seen in some circumstances as an asset.

Dru: How can being neurodiverse be an asset?

Dan: Where you have to work on certain things that don’t come naturally, it can make you better at then than those to whom it came naturally. As a Spurs fan (unfortunately), I will use Harry Kane as an analogy, had he not had setbacks and had to work on parts of his performance, he would not be the best striker in the world that he is today. There are also some neurological differences that lend themselves to the skills needed for professional services, running business etc.

Dru: How has it affected you rise at Fenchurch Law from an Associate in 2018 to the Deputy Managing Partner in 2024?

Dan: I think having to work on organisation skills and other elements of the roles I have had puts me in a unique position to help others / young members of staff – because simply put there were areas of my role which I wasn’t good at it but had to improve in order to develop. I would like to think that I am a good example of the fact that there are no barriers to progression if you are neurodiverse.

Dru: How have Fenchurch been with your neurodiversity?

Dan: The support has always been incredible; I was open from start and they immediately tried to put measures in to help me. I felt comfortable being able to tell the firm and they didn’t take it as a negative, because even 7 years ago the way neurodiversity was viewed in wider society was different to how it is seen today.

Dru: And finally, what advice would you give to neurotypical people when dealing with people with dyspraxia?

Dan: Take the time to understand. Particularly because it can manifest in a way that can be misinterpreted as someone having a lack of care, attention to detail or even laziness. There are measures in place to help with nearly all aspects needed for a professional services role, and it’s about working with the individual to work out what support they require. For example, with a junior lawyer, it may be accepting that they struggle with note taking in meetings, and finding a way to work with that, or they require instructions to them in a certain way.

Dru: Thanks very much for sharing, Dan.

Daniel Robin is the Deputy Managing Partner at Fenchurch Law.