When she isn’t dealing with high-profile legal cases, you might find Boston Partner Kate Dyson baking up a storm in the kitchen.

After beginning to practise in 2008 in New York, Kate moved to Boston in 2010. With few firms hiring at the height of the recession and the next opportunity to complete her Massachusetts bar exam several months away, she decided to put her time to good use and train as a pastry chef.

She says: “Growing up, I’d always really loved cooking and baking so, while I had no intention of a career change, it was a natural choice. So I enrolled in the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts professional certificate course covering pastry skills.”

Kate learnt a variety of skills, from making bread to fancy cakes and croissants.

She says: “I took the bar exam as planned and, when I got the results, returned to being a lawyer, working for another firm for several years before joining the Firm in 2016 to help open the Boston office, joining the Americas Disputes, White Collar team.

“I still put my pastry skills to good use at home for friends, family and my colleagues (my Christmas grasshopper bars go down particularly well in the office).”

Kate’s skills mean she’s also high on the list when it comes to requests for wedding and celebration cakes, which comes with a degree of responsibility.

“It’s always a bit more nerve-wracking, because you know the importance of getting it right,” she says, “but it’s great to be able to play a part in someone’s big day.”

Kate also enjoys baking sourdough bread and crowd pleasers including lemon cake and Key Lime Pie, and she’s got no shortage of support.

She says: “I’ve got two kids, Henry and Melanie, so we love baking together and having fun in the kitchen (see picture).

“I have no plans for a career change (I see myself being a lawyer for a long time yet), but I really enjoy baking because it’s so different to my day job. It’s the opposite of analytical, so it’s a great way to unwind. And the results are quite enjoyable too.”

Here is one of Kate’s favourite crowd-pleasing recipes for you to try out at home, plus a couple of top tips to help you deliver great baking results every time.