My Philosophy
I always aim to provide high quality translations which are delivered on time, returned in the required format, finished to the required standard, adapted to meet the needs of the end-client, and demonstrate a professional finished product. One of my main philosophies of translation is to "go native". I never work into a non-native language, and as such, only ever translate INTO English. I always advocate native speakers of a language to undertake translations. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I believe in value for money. The service I offer is a high quality service, but most importantly, a service which is fairly priced - one which reflects these difficult economic times, but also which reflects the quality of the finished product.

My Work
I undertake a wide range of work, predominantly translating from French and Russian into English. My main specialisms in these languages are: law, business, international relations/politics, finance/economics and media/journalism. As part of my regular work I frequently translate a large number of certificates of various types, including birth certificates, marriage certificates and educational transcripts. In addition, I also work to a lesser extent from Ukrainian, Belarusian and Spanish into English, however this is largely for more general documents such as certificates and correspondence.

My Notable Projects
➤ I have an arrangement through an agency with INTERPOL (Dublin), whereby I translate all French texts into English, including correspondence, court transcripts, criminal records, European arrest warrants and other documents (sometimes this work also includes Spanish to English translations);
➤ I work for an agency for whom I regularly translate documents for HM Prison Service, HM Revenue and Customs, Department of Work and Pensions, and the Home Office of the United Kingdom;
➤ 14,000 word French National Police Service audit report (French > English);
➤ 15,800 word document on EEC Regulations for payment of social security benefits (French > English);
➤ 9,000 word aviation engineering manual (French > English);
➤ 8,000 word promotional documents and contractual agreements on a hedge fund organisation (Russian > English);
➤ numerous mining, engineering and energy-related, as well as administrative/legal, documents for the Franco-Kazakh energy company Katco, totaling over 50,000 words (Russian and French > English);
➤ 6,000 word construction contracts for a housing construction agency in Uzbekistan (Russian > English);
➤ numerous legal, court and contractual documents in French and Russian, including divorce settlements, criminal court proceedings and payment injunctions;
➤ numerous certificates (marriage, death, birth, education etc.) in all language pairs.

My Educational Background
After secondary school at a Grammar School in Horncastle (UK), I attended the very reputable and highly acclaimed University of Sheffield, where I studied for a BA (Hons) French and Russian (with a minor elective in Spanish). This course included a wide range of cross-disciplinary studies including: Soviet history and foreign policy, translation studies in French and Russian, French revolutionary history, current affairs, Russian literature, French literature, French Canadian literature and cultural studies. As part of my course I spent 6 months studying at Université de Bordeaux III (Michel de Montaigne) where I studied specialist units in French translation and French culture. Following this spell in France, I moved to St Petersburg where I spent 6 months at St Petersburg State University, similarly studying specialist units in Russian language, translation and culture. After having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 1st class honours with a distinction in the use of spoken Russian, I immediately sought to launch my career as a freelance translator. I have already managed to build up a considerable client base and have already established myself as a reputable and reliable freelance translator, providing a high quality, good value and professional service to all.

My Personal Development
My main aim for the future is to enter myself for the IoL Postgraduate Diploma in Translation for both French and Russian. After successful completion of these qualifications, I would like to undertake a specialist Masters via distance learning in Legal Translation. In the meantime, I regularly read the press of my countries of interest (as well as my native language), and always try to keep abreast of linguistic developments and changes in expression and terminology.

My Personal Background
I currently live in Tattershall, a small village in Lincolnshire, England, with my partner, Megan, and my twin sons, Kieran and Oliver. Born and brought up in the UK, I have extensive experience of the British English language as a native speaker of the language.