Trainee Blog

On secondment with the BBC

2013-05-15T05:10:00.000-07:00

Trainee solicitor Will Hampshire recently returned from being on secondment with top client the BBC. We caught up with Will on how he found the placement:

What made you decide to go on secondment?
I was fortunate enough to gain a lot of experience of working within the firm before my training contract, as I worked as a paralegal here for some time. I therefore wanted to broaden my experiences as much as possible whilst training. I was fortunate enough to work at the firm's Brussels office for my second seat. Working in-house for a client was particularly appealing as I had heard positive feedback from other trainees who had been on secondment.
In addition, I had an interest in working in an IP/general commercial seat, which is sometimes difficult given that such seats are very popular choices amongst the trainees here. When the BBC secondment became available, with a seat covering these areas, I jumped at the chance.

What was the highlight of being on secondment with the BBC?
Fairly early on I was sent an advertising contract that the BBC had with an external media agency and was subsequently invited to a meeting with a senior lawyer and the manager in charge of this particular deal. The manager wished to amend the terms of the deal, and I attended the meeting expecting to take notes and then prepare the first draft of the variation contract. I was quite surprised when, at the beginning of the meeting, after the introductions were done, both the senior lawyer and the manager looked at me waiting for me to start. It became pretty clear I was expected to lead the meeting. I found this quite daunting, as I had obviously not been prepared to do so, but it was very rewarding stepping up to the challenge.
In the end the deal ended up being quite complicated and an issue arose in relation to some disputed payments. I was left to run the legal side of the deal, advising the manager on what steps she should take, both in relation to the dispute and the variation. I ended up running a number of deals like this, but this was the highlight as it was the first one.

What were the main challenges?
The issue I found most challenging was drawing the line between being the client and the external lawyer. There were times when I attended external events at other law firms' offices, where their employees would ask me about being a trainee at the BBC and other times when I was not sure whether I should repeat what I heard at BBC to FFW and vice versa.

How does working at the BBC compare with working at FFW? – How is it different/similar?
Overall, the environment is a lot more laid back at the BBC, in terms of the hours worked during the day (I once got told off for staying past seven), the clothes you wore and deadlines. As the 'clients' for the work I did were essentially the business managers at the BBC, it was very rare that a particular piece of work was urgent. Sometimes I would complete a task and not hear back from the relevant business manager for a month or so. More often than not I would have to chase them to get back to me.
The supervision, compared to private practice, is minimal. If you have a question or a particular issue arises, you can always meet and discuss it with the senior solicitors involved, who are always happy to help, but in general you are afforded a great deal of responsibility and are left to your own devices to complete the matter and expected to move things on. This can be quite daunting at first, but I found it very beneficial and it makes you think on your feet and be proactive in getting the job done.

What skills and expertise do you think you will bring back to the firm?
Although the volume of work was not as high as I was use to, the level of work was excellent. This meant I had time to really concentrate on what I was doing and make the most of the opportunity. I was exposed to a great deal of contract drafting and gained experience advising clients, the level of which I don't think I would have received in private practice. I will now have the confidence to use these skills back at the firm when I qualify as a solicitor.

How will it change the way you work with the BBC as a client?
I don't think I will necessarily change anything specifically. Obviously, if I end up dealing with someone I know at the BBC, there will be a familiarity in the relationship. Even if it is someone I do not know, it will certainly be beneficial to have knowledge of how the client functions and the challenges it faces.

How do you think this experience will benefit you professionally/career wise?
I have been very fortunate in the experiences I have had so far, both as a paralegal and during my training contract. Working in private practice allows you to work alongside talented lawyers and develop as a lawyer. However, I think the level of work I did as a trainee on secondment has given me invaluable experience of working as a solicitor and the challenges I will face when I qualify.

Would you recommend going on secondment? What advice would you give someone thinking about going on secondment?
In a word, yes. The only advice I would give is speak to people that have been on the secondment before and try to get an idea of the work you will be doing. If the secondment is not in an area you are interested in, although it will be interesting to experience working in-house for a client, there may be times when you are bored as the work load is considerably less than in private practice.

Converting to Law

2012-11-09T01:28:00.000-08:00

Many lawyers today didn't do a straight law degree but came from a variety of backgrounds, in fact nearly half of applicants applying for training contracts each year have not studied law for their undergraduate degree. I studied Experimental Psychology before deciding to embark on a legal career. I then completed my Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) at BPP Law School in London. If you know early on that you are going to apply for the GDL following your undergraduate degree then it is a good idea to start researching firms whilst in your second year at university as most firms recruit two years in advance. In the same year you should start to apply for summer vacation schemes and work placements. I tried to get as much work experience as possible whilst studying so that I could get a taste of a variety of firms and areas of law to help me decide which firms were right for me. It is vital to research the firms carefully and think about both the type and size of firm that would suit you as there is so much variation for example city, regional and niche practices. In your final year at university you need to start applying for training contracts. A great website for checking the timeline for applications is www.lawcareers.net. The deadlines vary for all the firms and so it is a great way of staying on top of everything with a list for both vacation scheme and training contract deadlines for every firm. Once you have completed the GDL you are ready to apply for the Legal Practice Course (LPC) along with those who studied law as their undergraduate degree.

Good websites to help you on your way:

www.lawcareers.net

www.chambersstudent.co.uk

www.lex100.com

www.rollonfriday.com

Clare Feaver

Intern

Trade Marks ' An Impressive Client Base'

2012-10-23T01:30:00.000-07:00

I am a first year, first seat trainee and have been in the IP Brand Protection (Trade Marks) department for just six weeks. Trade Marks is a great department for a trainee as there is such diversity of work here ranging from trade mark clearance through to maintaining, protecting and enforcing a client's registrations.

I have mainly been involved in the more contentious work and regular tasks include reviewing opposition and revocation files, drafting emails out to clients with updates and advice, drafting witness statements and generally gathering and collating evidence. I have particularly enjoyed learning more about the clients, what they do and how they do it in order to ensure that their registrations reflect this. This is all the more interesting given the department's impressive client base which includes big household names such as Caffe Nero, Lulu Guinness and Crocs, to name but a few! I have also, from day one, been encouraged to make use of my language skills. During the first hour of my first afternoon, I was asked to read and prepare a short case summary of a French decision which had not yet been translated into English.

I have been fortunate enough to do work for virtually every member of the team which has given me maximum exposure to different styles and allowed me to learn by doing. I cannot stress enough how friendly and supportive the team have been; instructions are always clear and asking questions is actively encouraged!

One of the reasons I was drawn to FFW was its focus on getting involved with things outside of work, and that certainly has not disappointed. I have already attended several departmental social events, including a cross-selling drinks evening with the Employment team. There are also lots of impromptu after work drinks and as a member of the newly appointed Social Committee, I have been helping with the final arrangements for the upcoming Trainee Christmas social. I have also really enjoyed the opportunity to get involved with the firm's reading scheme at Tower Hamlets primary school and pro bono involvement with Queen Mary's Legal Advice Centre.

Caroline

All stations go to Palo Alto!

2012-10-03T02:56:00.001-07:00

FFW has launched a representative office in Silicon Valley in a bid to clinch work originating in the Californian technology hub. It has depoloyed London privacy and information partner Phil Lee to staff its first office outside Europe. It has taken up space in the offices of existing client Woodside Capital Partners, a technology and life sciences-focused investment bank.

The firm will not practise local law, using the operation instead as a means of shoring up ties with current clients and winning mandates for its European teams from technology and biotech companies, investment banks and venture capital funds based in the region.

Merger?

2012-07-30T02:21:00.000-07:00

A number of applicants have asked me where Field Fisher Waterhouse stands on merger following the recent talks with LG that some of you may have read about in the legal press.

As reported, we held talks with LG to explore the benefits that a merger would bring but in the end both firms decided not to progress these talks any further.

Certainly there is a lot of consolidation in the legal industry at the moment and many firms of our size have merger on their long-term agenda. Our management are not unusual in looking at this option - we have ambitious growth plans and merger is one way to achieve those goals. Merger has the potential to bring big benefits for our staff and our clients but any tie up would of course need to be in line with our strategic aims and provide a good cultural fit with FFW.

If you have any queries on this, feel free to contact me.

Amelia Spinks, Graduate Recruitment Manager

.'A day in the life of a Summer Vacation Scheme Student' in IP and Technology

2012-07-23T07:06:00.001-07:00

'Today is our first full day in departments, I am in trade marks which I am really happy about! I get into the office at 9.15am and continue working on a client’s witness statement for an opposition to a trade mark application. I have not done anything like this before but my supervisor explained everything yesterday, so it's very exciting! We review the first draft with my supervisor where he makes some positive comments and suggestions for what needs to be changed and added.

At 1pm I go out for lunch with my trainee buddy. It's a chance for me to find out a bit more about FFW and life as a trainee. Once again I appreciate how friendly everyone has been. Back in the office, I make the necessary amendments and we go through it with my supervisor one last time before sending it to the client.

My next task is to draft an e-mail for another client; I was given all the required information for this in the morning. At 4.45pm one of the associates invites me to listen in on a client conference call with one of the partners. Before I join them I send my supervisor the first draft for the email I was working on. The call is regarding a trade marks dispute which is very interesting and informative about the client-partner relationship. At 6pm we go to St Katherine Docks where we enjoy drinks and canapés with trainees and future trainees'

Meltem

Living to expectations

2012-07-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

Having nearly reached the end of this rotation sitting in corporate I can safely say that the diversity of the work, the people and the general atmosphere has lived up to expectations.

As a trainee in corporate my days do not tend to feel or look the same. Every day comes with different tasks, for different partners, in different fields of corporate law. I mainly split my time between the capital markets team working on admission of companies on the AIM market and other commercial transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, venture capital deals, and corporate governance tasks. I have also been involved in some public sector research as well as the setting up of a new trade union. All in all the experience has been great and I would definitely recommend this seat.

Some recent news: whilst on holidays last week, I found out that FFW wanted to send me on secondment at Getty Images in their legal team for a month. This was very exciting news as I had already been on secondment at Getty Images a year back as a paralegal for 6 months. I joined the team today in their offices in Camden and have been welcomed like I had never left.

Going to spend some time at a client of the firm is always a great experience no matter for long or who the client is. The experience gained is invaluable and you usually end up meeting some very interesting and nice people. Most of the people I met at Getty last year I had stayed in touch with both professionally and outside work.

I will also have to decide this month about my next seat rotation. I am debating between Technology and Commercial IP; watch this space!

Medical Negligence - Working for a great cause

2012-06-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

I have now been a trainee in the Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence department for approximately a month and am finding the cases that I am involved in extremely interesting. As a trainee you feel very involved with the department as you will be asked to attend numerous meetings with the team to discuss new or complex cases, the department's performance and strategy for the future.

The department has 2 trainees, and broadly speaking I work with the clinical negligence solicitors. The other trainee, Alice, works with the solicitors concentrating on personal injury cases and the asbestos related diseases cases. There is however some overlap.

The clinical negligence team work on a wide range of cases including, for example, late diagnosis of cancer, wrongful births, delay in treatment when attending A&E and operations performed negligently. The department focuses on complex and high value cases, meaning that the effects that have been suffered by our clients are often devastating. I have had the opportunity to meet numerous clients and trainees in this department have a lot of client contact.

I have attended conferences with Counsel and medical experts in order to take a detailed note. There is often follow up work following a conference, and I have spoken to clients to clarify certain issues and amended their statements as a result of what was discussed in a conference.

I have attended the home of a potential new client with a colleague and following the meeting drafted their witness statement. I was also able to attend a round table meeting on a matter where a settlement sum was agreed with the other side, which was extremely interesting.

Some other tasks for trainees in the department include sorting clients' medical records and preparing bundles for Counsel or experts. Jobs such as these are not always glamorous but you do always feel that you are working for a great cause which makes it more interesting. Trainees are often asked to complete research, for example, what size of award a person with particular injuries can hope to receive.

The cases in the department and the work for a trainee here is very varied, so I am looking forward to the next 5 months.

TARAs Awards

2012-05-29T08:17:00.001-07:00

Partner Edward Miller was shortlisted for the Best Training Principal at the LawCareers.Net Training & Recruitment Awards last week. The awards, which recognised the best recruiters and trainers among law firms, were based on a large survey of over 2,300 trainee and newly qualified solicitors.

He attended the annual event, held at the Gherkin, with Senior HR Manager Joan Bradshaw and HR Assistant Aberta Badoo and although he did not win, this was a great achievement.

Edward said: "I was very pleased to receive this recognition, which I feel reflects the efforts made by everyone here at FFW involved with our trainees. It was also a great evening."

Employment and Pensions

2012-05-24T05:04:00.000-07:00

I am a final-seat trainee and currently sitting in the Employment & Pensions Department, which I am really enjoying.

The team is friendly and supportive and very happy to involve trainees at quite a high level, as well as giving us the more traditional litigation-trainee tasks, such as "bundling". The work is very varied and provides a nice mix of contentious and non-contentious work.

We could find ourselves preparing a complex piece of advice on the TUPE implications of a major business restructuring, drafting Instructions to Counsel in a disability discrimination case, writing a letter to the other side in an attempt to reach a settlement before proceedings are issued against our client in a whistle-blowing matter, and interviewing our client in an equal pay claim prior to drafting her witness statement. And that's just tomorrow's to-do list!

This morning, I arrived in the office for 9.30 and began a review of one of the cases I am working on for the Department of Work & Pensions (Jobcentre Plus), one of our major clients. I prepared a memo of key issues for the solicitor working on the case, which he needs for a Case Management Discussion later this week.

Wednesday lunchtime is a highlight of my week as, along with about 30 colleagues, I take an hour out of my day to visit a local primary school and help the children with their reading. This scheme has been running for over a term now and, with the children having one-on-one attention, we are really seeing improvements. "My" child is very bright and chatty and I always go back to the office with an amusing story or two to tell. It's fantastic to have the chance to give back to the community in the middle of a busy working week.

This afternoon, I left the office with my supervisor to attend a meeting at the offices of another client. They are seeking advice in a redundancy situation to ensure they deal with the matter as fairly as possible and avoid any claims. I have been lucky enough to be taken along to quite a few meetings already, despite having only spent two months in the department. Meetings are a great opportunity for client contact as well as for learning from the partners. The role of a trainee at a meeting is generally to take a note of whatever is discussed and then, often, to have a go at a first draft of any advice or letters that the client is seeking.

Finally I catch up with my supervisor on a letter I have been drafting for him which will be sent by one of our clients to its employees, giving them guidance on TUPE issues affecting their workforce.

Not bad for an ordinary Wednesday!

Rebecca (2nd Year Trainee)

Easter Vacation Scheme in Commercial IP

2012-04-26T02:22:00.000-07:00

I have just begun my second week on the Easter vacation scheme in Field Fisher Waterhouse’s Commercial IP department. As a firm which prides itself on IP work, I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity to experience real work in a department which was one of my top preferences. Already, during my short time in the department I have been involved in a number of different projects and activities. As soon as I joined the department I went along with my trainee buddy on a court run. Though a bit of a whirlwind tour, having never been to the Royal Courts of Justice I found this quite exciting! Whilst the friendly atmosphere of the Commercial IP department meant that I was always able to stop and have a chat with members of the team, I was given plenty of work to keep me busy for the week! Being a history undergraduate, part of me did expect that I would be given more administrative tasks. However, I have been proven wrong as the Commercial IP team have let me get stuck into some real legal tasks. Two main projects that I have been working on are practice notes for Lexis Nexis on the advertising of food and medicinal products. In addition, I have proof read a Franchise Sale Agreement, researched the legal restrictions on clinical trials using animals and researched the ways in which one particular business uses social media. On Thursday I am moving to Clinical Negligence, another of FFW’s practices that attracted me to the firm. Though I am a little sad to say goodbye to the Commercial IP team, I very much look forward to experiencing another practice area of the firm.

A Day in the Life of an Easter Vacation Student

2012-04-17T01:48:00.000-07:00

9.00: I arrive a little early so I can get a cup of tea and check my FFW email. Last night the trainees took the vacation schemers out for drinks, nibbles and a magic show. In the kitchenette I bump into one of the trainees and we debate how on earth one of the tricks was done.

9.15: My supervisor and I also have a quick chat and then I get down to looking at my to-do-list for the day. I have been given a High Court judgement on a patents case to read by a Senior Associate. My task is to establish whether the judgement has added anything new to a particular legal test for patent validity and the deadline is in a couple of day’s time. Patent law is something I have a strong interest in as I have a science background but is not something I have studied before, so in addition to reading the judgement I will need to do some research. At the beginning of the scheme we were given training in legal research skills and the resources available to us so I get out my notes and start to put these skills to good use.

10.45: When the firm’s clerk is away one of the jobs of a trainee is to do a “court run”, where claims and documents are filed. My buddy and another trainee will be doing the court run at 11.00 and they have invited me to come along. One of the trainees stops by to fill me in on the particular case he will be dealing with in court and to take me through the procedure for filing a claim.

11.00: The two trainees and I head off to first the Royal Courts of Justice and then the Rolls Building. It is interesting to see the process of filing claims and also two such different judicial buildings with the first looking a little bit like Hogwarts on the inside and the second being a cutting-edge modern building.

12.30: The trainees very kindly take me for lunch and I get an opportunity to talk to them about the seats they have had so far and their experiences at FFW.

1.30: We arrive back at the firm and a partner asks me if I can proof-read a licensing contract draft. He is going to meet his client in 45 minutes so I crack on. It is the first licensing contract I have ever seen so it is a good opportunity to see how one is laid out.

1.50: After handing back the proof-read draft with a couple of small typos identified, I return to my research task.

3.30: The Vacation Schemers have a briefing on the group presentations we will need to do at the end of the scheme. We are given a folder with the details and are talked through some of the key factors we may want to bear in mind.

4.30: My group gathers together to discuss our plans.

5.30: I head back to my desk, finish off my work and reply to a couple of emails.

6.00: There are departmental drinks in the pub across the road from the office. I head over and join the rest of the team.

Legal In House vs Private Practice

2012-04-04T01:36:00.000-07:00

I am two weeks into the fourth seat of my training contract, sitting in the Dispute Resolution department. My third seat was spent on secondment with BP at Canary Wharf and it has taken a week or so for me to find my feet after being away from the office for so long. I had forgotten how to do a lot of things and it took me a couple of hours on my first day back to remember that, oh yes, there's this time recording thing I'm supposed to do…!

My secondment was with the Anti-Bribery and Corruption team at BP, which sits within the BP Legal in‑house function and provides specialist legal advice to the business on bribery and corruption issues. I would always recommend that a trainee take the opportunity to go on secondment to a client as the experience you will gain is invaluable. Not only will you improve your legal knowledge and experience, more importantly you will develop your 'commercial awareness' (something that those of you filling in training contract applications will know all about!).

One of the key differences with in-house work is that a lawyer's status changes from 'fee earner' to 'cost centre'. In simple terms, a lawyer in private practice is called a fee earner i.e. someone who charges out their time and earns fees! This is how law firms make money, so a fee earner is a pretty important person in private practice. By contrast, an in-house lawyer is someone who in fact costs the company money! Profits are generated by other people and it is your job to be an asset, rather than just a burden, while of course protecting the company's interests. In-house work reminds you that lawyers are not the centre of the universe(!) but, on the other hand, that you will be valued as long as you keep your advice commercial and relevant.

Coming back into private practice, the most important question I have learned to ask is 'What's the risk?'. The point here is that commercial clients are unlikely to want or need to hear chapter and verse on the nuances of a sophisticated legal argument. Clients want to understand the actual risks they face, and how those risks can be managed. When a client briefs you on a project, it is vital for you to be able to identify and focus on the key legal risks which are at issue and come up with sensible, commercial solutions.

Naomi (2nd Year trainee)

My Seat Rotation in Brussels

2012-03-30T05:36:00.001-07:00

Food & Play

Brussels is a lively city full of restaurants, bars and cafes. Belgian waffles, Flemish stews, meatballs in tomato sauce, and mussels with fries are staples, but lots of French, Italian and Spanish restaurants also line the streets. There are plenty of cultural events such as concerts, film/art festivals and theatre groups with ticket prices much lower than in London.

For those who enjoyed the social aspects of university life, coming to Brussels as a trainee may feel like a return to those days for a trainee mailing list goes round detailing outings every Wednesday and Thursday night in the same spots where huge groups congregate: Chatelain and Place Luxembourg. These are the ex pat spots and you will meet people from every country in Europe and you overhear all 27 languages spoken. I made some really nice Swedish friends.

The city also hosts a large Arabic population which I loved as I was able to practice my Arabic when shopping for groceries. In the department I work with both Francophone and Flemish Belgians and also integrated into the Belgian community through sport. I am member of The VUB Waterpolo Team and the Brussels Underwater Hockey Team. They are a lot of fun and will teach you about the history of the city and places of interest outside the city like Bruges, Gent, Antwerp. All in all, it is a fantastic experience for a young lawyer.

What about the real work?

The work in the EU Regulatory Team is very varied due to the different areas of expertise individual lawyers in the team possess. One is also given a lot of responsibility early on. A lot of my time is spent on legal research into European case law, legislative measures and European procedural rules. I have had to look closely at parts of REACH, the Detergents Regulation, the General Court Procedural Rules and the EU Directives on Emissions. I have also had to produce case summaries on recent ECJ decisions as well as areas of competition law in anticipation of negotiations conducted on behalf of clients.
I have been contributing substantially to training and business development by writing numerous articles for the EU Regulatory Bulletin which is a bulletin produced once a month destined for clients with updates on recent cases and proposals for new European legislation. I do a substantial amount of translating as well: usually from Italian and French into English. The clients are international so you get the opportunity to use your language skills and travel a bit. In my first month I attended client meetings in Germany where the meetings themselves were held in Spanish while the next month I was attending hearings before the European Courts based in Luxembourg. I think anyone who would enjoy this international dimension will love this secondment.

Finally, while the trainee is sitting in the EU Regulatory department, other departments are made aware of the trainee's presence in the office and they too may call on the trainee. I have really enjoyed this aspect as I have been able to get a feel for different types of work in addition to my main workload.

The buzz around seat choices!

2012-03-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

There's a nervous excitement amongst some of the trainees this morning; it's seat allocation day. We submitted our list of six preferences a few weeks ago and Amelia is expecting to deliver the news this afternoon. My first seat has been in the investment group of the Real Estate department. With two weeks left, I've been trying to complete and close down as many transactions as possible so the new incoming trainee can ease his or her way into the seat rather than having to pick up a dozen matters-in-progress. Easier said than done with a continuing stream of new incoming work! We're in the middle of a development purchase involving more than 40 registered titles and 30 leases. With an anticipated rent of over six million pounds per annum, it isn't the sort of deal which can be hurried along, but exchange is anticipated to be before the end of the week if the bank agrees to lend. However, there are a number of potentially problematic rights of way affecting the development site.

My first choice for my second seat is IP litigation and enforcement. It's a popular seat - the firm prides itself on its IP and technology focus, so many of the trainees apply to the firm in the hope of sitting in one of those departments. Before converting to law, I trained as a Physicist, so fingers crossed that will count in my favour. My aim would be to work with David Knight, whose principal area of practice is patent disputes. He originally studied Electronic Engineering and I've been in touch with him regarding my application - HR encourage us to take charge of our training contracts and speak to the partners we would like to work for. You don't want to be a nuisance though!

Aside from work, it has been a busy month. Another Trainee and I recently took charge of the firm's mixed hockey team. We have upcoming games against Freshfields and Travers Smith, so I have been emailing around to organise the team and book the pitch and food for afterwards. It has been a particularly cold January, but Spring is just trying to break through, so enthusiasm for outdoor sports has returned. Our team is quite competitive, but we were beaten by Slaughter and May before Christmas, so we're keen to get back to winning ways.

Also, my wife and I have just had an offer accepted on a house outside Orpington, which would cut my daily commute by about an hour and a half. The conveyancing process is just kicking off and I'm certain that the experience gained during my first seat will be extremely helpful in understanding and managing the process. It's a listed building, so there are legal issues which I haven't come across in my commercial property work. It will be a big renovation project, but we're excited, if a little apprehensive. Much like the feeling of waiting to hear which department I'll be working in for the next six months.

Adam (First Year Trainee)

That's the way the cookie crumbles!

2011-12-16T03:21:00.000-08:00

I have recently begun my third seat in the Technology and Outsourcing group. I requested Eduardo Ustaran as my supervisor and was lucky enough to be placed with him. Eduardo is a partner in the Data Protection and Privacy team, a sub-group within the Technology and Outsourcing group. My previous seats in Dispute Resolution and Commercial IP were ones in which I worked for the entire team. I thought that, as a second year trainee, it would be interesting to become more deeply involved in one aspect of the group as opposed to broadly involved with all aspects. I feel that this has been a good decision for me as I have developed close relations with the Data Protection team and feel that I am learning a lot about data protection, freedom of information and privacy.

To date I have been involved with collecting local counsels' advise with relation to rolling out whistleblowing schemes globally, researching various countries' exemptions to their data protection regime and assisting in drafting privacy policies. I have also been involved in producing template notification forms to go to particular countries' data protection authorities where they require notification of data processing. Legal research has also featured highly in my tasks, for example, for one client I conducted research into the meaning of "consent" – asking such questions as is a "soft opt-in", that is an opt-out box which by default is checked, enough when it comes to third party advertising?

I have also been keenly following the approaches taken by Member States and by companies to deal with the recent EU Cookies Directive which states that consent must be gained from the user of a website before cookies can be used. Cookies are small text files that store basic information that a website can use to track online traffic flows, recognise repeat visits and record information about your online preferences. This data on your online preferences can be used to target advertising towards particular users. This might, if the Directive is interpreted strictly by Member States, have a huge impact on how we use the internet, especially free sites which rely on targeted advertising to provide their funding, for example Facebook and Wikipedia. The Directive has implications for a lot of our clients as it impacts how their websites must operate, what information must be given to the user and the method of provision of that information.

Alex (2nd Year Trainee)

From Brussels with chocolate and beer!

2011-05-23T04:09:00.000-07:00

I applied to do my second seat in the firm's Brussels office and have recently joined the EU regulatory team, which advises on the EU regulation of chemicals. It was not until I arrived here that the European dimension of the firm sank in. Aside from exposure to EU institutions, the Brussels experience involves collaboration with colleagues from all over Europe, notably Germany, France, Italy, Romania... Working in Brussels is thus enriching in many ways. It has also made me more aware of the culture of the firm: everywhere I go, the people I meet seem diligent, but also approachable and fun!

More on the work undertaken by the EU regulatory team: EU regulation of chemicals involves environmental law, which is a fascinating area of the law because it is very much in the making. The bulk of my work consists in conducting research on various EU and Member State legislations and drafting a memorandum summarising the results. The challenge lies in adopting a macro analysis approach to understand the rationale behind each legislation and the different interests at stake, whilst also paying attention to the details to address clients' specific points of concern. I have also been involved in other types of work, including assisting with REACH consortia management and the preparation of litigation before the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Last but not least, we all know the other benefits of a Brussels secondment: life in Brussels is sweet thanks to the endless supply of delicious chocolates and beers!

Mitsuko Akiyama
Trainee

Amelia Goodwin - Graduate Recruitment Manager

2011-02-17T08:06:00.000-08:00

Our Graduate Recruitment Manager, Amelia Goodwin, was recently featured on the Law Careers website in their 'Meet the Recruiter' section. Below is a copy of the Q&A. You can view the original article at the Law Careers website.

What is your job title?
It's very recently become graduate recruitment manager. I was previously an HR officer - a role which had large elements of graduate recruitment within it.

Where do you work (geographically speaking)?
We're in London, very close to the Tower of London.

How did you end up in law?
I've always had an interest in law, but HR was where my heart lay. When I graduated I saw that there was an HR role in a law firm which kind of mixed the two interests and I've stuck with it ever since.

What are your main responsibilities?
This one could be quite long-winded as my role is threefold. First, I deal with graduate recruitment, which includes everything from marketing at universities and running assessment centres through to offering training contracts. The second element is trainee development. That involves arranging events for future trainees and ensuring their maintenance grants are paid, as well as dealing with the trainees when they're on board - seat rotations, secondments and the qualification process. The third part of my job is looking after the paralegal population.

How long have you been in the job?
I've been working in graduate recruitment for the last couple of years.

Who is in your team?
We are quite different here because we actually have a firm-wide graduate recruitment team. We have partners, associates and trainees in our university champions team and in our vacation schemes team. In our graduate assessment team, we have senior associates and partners involved in scoring application forms and marking at the assessment centres. I coordinate all of these activities by working closely with our training principal and other members of the HR team. In total we have around 35 partners and other fee earners involved - we had to book a large table at our graduate recruitment team Christmas lunch last year!

What are the most/least enjoyable aspects of recruiting?
Most enjoyable is seeing someone go from being a student and offering them a training contract, through to them qualifying as a solicitor. The least enjoyable is probably being bombarded with excuses - their internet connection failed or their dog chewed their USB stick, etc - the day after the application deadline and having to tell candidates that even though they may have put a lot of work into their application, we still can't consider it.

What is the biggest challenge of the job?
Again, probably around the application deadline date, dealing with the huge level of queries we get in the last few days. I’m really happy answering questions from people and helping them out, but leaving it to the last few days doesn’t give people the best chance of getting their query resolved.

Do you socialise with your trainees/vac scheme students?
Yes! Our trainees have a social budget and a social committee whose aim is to spend it wisely! Some of the events they arrange we go along to and others we leave them to it. It’s the same for the vacation schemes, but I accompany the training principal to the formal dinner at the end of the scheme as it’s always in a funky central London venue and everyone is in a good mood, relaxing at the end of the scheme!

Do you attend law fairs? Why is it important for students to attend?
The firm attends law fairs, but I don't personally. We rely on our university champions to do that - teams consisting of trainees, partners and associates. We are quite unique in this way, but we believe it’s important for students to find out what life is like as a lawyer at Field Fisher Waterhouse, straight from the horses’ mouths! We also try to arrange it so that at each law fair, we send a partner and a trainee who attended that university. We also do other things at universities such as presentations and skills sessions which I tend to get more involved with, depending on what the subject is. All the details of our university timetable are on our website and I also tweet about them, so please become a follower!

What's the most annoying question you're asked by students?
I’m really happy to answer questions if the answer isn't readily available, but we often get people phoning up to ask how to apply to our firm. How to apply is advertised really clearly on our website, so it makes me think that the person hasn't done much research!

What do you look for in a candidate?
We're looking for bright, well-rounded and authentic individuals. We're looking for somebody who has achieved academically but who has also lived a life outside academia which has helped them to develop life skills. Importantly, we don’t want actors - we want the real you. Our tag line is '100% lawyer, 100% you'!

What is the most common mistake you see candidates making?
Probably when applicants cut and paste their answers from application forms and leave the wrong firm name in - oops...

How should candidates approach you for feedback after an interview?
As soon as the assessment centres are over, those who have been successful are invited to final partner interviews and those who haven't are offered a feedback session; this is a half-hour telephone conversation. Again we are quite unique in the market for offering feedback to unsuccessful candidates from an assessment centre. We will go over every stage of the assessment and highlight areas where the candidate did well and those areas where there is room for improvement. Importantly we also ask for the candidate’s feedback on their experience so that we can improve. When we offer feedback, I would thoroughly recommend that everyone takes up the offer and books in a session - some people don’t, which is a shame.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of joining the legal profession?
Try to gain some legal experience early on to ensure that law is definitely what you want to do. Then, once you are set on the career, think about the skills that a lawyer would need and try to develop them while studying or working. Keep in mind that skills are transferable so demonstrate this on the application form.

What makes your firm stand out from the rest?
Our trainees have a lot of responsibility and client contact from day one; because we only have 15 trainees joining us each year, everyone enjoys a high level of support from their dedicated and well-trained supervisors and is always fully utilised on client matters. In some departments trainees even have responsibility for their own small files. In addition, we have a good work/life balance, which is something that's not necessarily found in every City law firm; for example, we are proud that we don't have sleeping pods!

If you could do something completely different, what would it be?
I have a wheat intolerance, so my dream is to own and run a wheat-free bakery with lovely cupcakes and bread, and maybe some pizza thrown in. I just need to think up a good name to call it!

What's your guilty pleasure?
Chocolate, and perhaps a bit of wine as well. In fact, better still, red wine and chocolate together!

What's your desert island disc?
I have this album called 101 Housework Songs which is 101 full-on cheesy songs. I think I'd take that with me to complement the beautiful scenery and stop me from getting bored.

HR Team, Field Fisher Waterhouse

Smiles all around...

2011-02-09T03:17:00.000-08:00

We at Field Fisher Waterhouse are elated! In a glittering ceremony at Grosvenor House last night for the Lawyer HR Awards 2011, we won two awards among fierce competition. One was for the 'Best Graduate Trainee Recruitment Campaign' and the other for the 'Best HR Team'. Our Trainee Partner Matthew Lohn, who attended the awards is delighted and Charlie Keeling, our HR Director, is walking around with a big smile on his face (and so are the rest of us).

Competition was definitely intense but it's always nice to know that the industry thinks you're doing the job right. But we mostly hope that our Trainees feel they are getting what they would expect from us, after all, that's what motivated us to do a good job in the first place.

HR Team

Five months in...

2011-02-07T04:01:00.000-08:00

My first seat has been spent in the firm's Technology and Outsourcing Group. Top rated in the legal directories, there is no better place than Field Fisher Waterhouse to learn about this area of law. The department is one of the largest in the firm, and the work undertaken ranges from digital media, telecoms, large scale government procurement to data protection and data security issues.

Personally speaking, five months in and coming towards the end of my first seat seems a good time to reflect on what I’ve learnt. The Group runs a weekly 'university' training session, which has been an excellent way to immerse myself in an area of law I knew little about before joining the firm. But more than anything I feel that I’ve learnt by doing. I have been fortunate enough to gain real experience of drafting, research and client meetings, and hope to keep improving and honing these skills.

During the last two weeks I’ve been in Liverpool on a competitive dialogue (less combative than it sounds!), sitting in on meetings between our client and bidders who have been negotiating terms of the contract. What I enjoyed the most was the exposure to clients; both during meetings and in the evening over drinks and dinner. There is no sense of being hidden away behind the scenes at the firm; you are definitely a valued part of the team, and given a real opportunity to contribute. Subsequently, I met with the client alone to obtain instructions, and then marked up three Schedules of the contract accordingly; scary, but proper legal work!

There have been plenty of opportunities to get involved in things outside of work. I’m on the Trainee Social Committee, and we have organised a cocktail making event, in addition to impromptu dinner and drinks with the Trainees. I’m learning to play squash in our basement courts, sang in the choir at Christmas and have enjoyed helping students hone their interview and letter writing techniques through the firm’s pro bono involvement with Queen Mary’s Legal Advice centre.

I’ve got high hopes for the future and my next seat – who knows what it has in store!

Angharad Schell, First Year Trainee

The Monday Morning Feeling

2011-01-26T08:34:00.000-08:00

Five months have flown by in my first seat in the Employment and Pensions department. From day one I have felt part of this team and very much enjoyed working in it. On my first day, I remember being a little nervous about meeting everybody in the department but soon realised that there was nothing to worry about and everybody was more than happy to answer any questions I had...although I do have a one year qualified 'buddy' who sits just down the corridor from me who I save my less sophisticated questions for...

The work has also been interesting and diverse. A lot of the department's work involves preparing cases for Employment Tribunals on behalf of our biggest client, the Department of Work and Pensions. As a trainee you are involved in every stage of this process and some of the work I do on a daily basis includes drafting documents such as particulars of response, instructions to counsel, witness statements and letters of advice; interviewing witnesses; researching various points of law; and attending hearings. I have also done work for some of the department's private sector clients, one of which is Ipswich Town Football Club. Getting the chance to visit Ipswich, after conveniently arranging meetings so that they coincide with match day, is definitely a bonus. I must say I was surprised but excited by the level of responsibility that I was given and, having spoken to friends at other firms, this is not an experience which is shared by all trainees in the City.

The firm has a really good sports and social scene too. There are frequently ad hoc nights out and organised events (annual firm wide quiz last night) as well as various sports teams. I manage our football team with two other trainees, Nick and Phil. This is something we will do while we are trainees and upon qualification will pass it onto a new group of trainees. We play in the London Legal League which is made up of City law firms. It's 11 a-side and we play once a week. We've had a difficult season with a string of unlucky results leaving us with a bit of an uphill climb for the rest of the season...but we are having a great time anyway. The sports teams are a great way to meet people at every level of the firm and an ideal way to let off steam after work. We've arranged a sports team social with Jenny, the netball team captain, at the end of February although we are still debating whether we should get competitive with a girls v boys dodgeball match, or just merry with darts and drinks...

We also have a Trainee Social Committee made up of myself, Jenny, Aneesh and Angharad. We are given a generous budget by the firm to arrange various nights out - our first being the 'current and future trainee cocktail-making Christmas bash'...

There's a great work-life balance here and I am really enjoying working life. I think it's a pretty good sign when you don't mind getting out of bed at half six on a Monday morning.

Jamie Pullen, First Year Trainee

Work, cake, karaoke and curry!

2011-01-18T03:32:00.000-08:00

Firstly, Happy New Year! The beginning of 2011 seems an appropriate time to write a blog about my first four months at the firm, not least because I will soon be assisting with a graduate recruitment presentation on “life as a trainee”.

I am two thirds of the way through my first seat in Commercial Intellectual Property, a highly regarded department which broadly focuses on franchising, licensing, advertising and film finance. I have been fortunate to experience all of these areas, often undertaking tasks which involve much responsibility such as drafting franchise agreements and reviewing sponsorship contracts. A definite advantage of working in film finance is getting the inside scoop on what the next blockbuster will be. It is also a novel experience to see adverts on station platforms for films Field Fisher Waterhouse has advised on.

I have been given the opportunity to attend quite a few meetings, including one on my third day with a partner, an associate and fifteen clients whose interests were aligned on one matter. As most of the clients are well-known, I rarely have to ask what they do before starting work on a new matter. Of course as a first seat trainee I have had many other questions, but everyone is approachable and happy to answer them.

Whilst most of the people in my department are listed in Chambers and Partners, they definitely deserve more recognition for their baking skills, a fact which has been proven by ‘Cake Club’ which happens on Thursday afternoons. Besides this, the Commercial IP social activities have extended to bowling, drinks, a trip to Devon and karaoke.

The trainees are equally gregarious. Alongside weekly drinks the social committee has organised a cocktail making class and more (clearly very popular) karaoke. The latest rumour is that a trainee curry night is imminent.

Over the past four months my weeknights have also been filled by playing football and hockey for the firm’s teams- I have enjoyed this despite my lack of fitness. The trainees also take it in turns to attend the Queen Mary’s Legal Advice Centre on Tuesday nights.

It has been a very busy four months! I look forward to the rest of my time in Commercial IP as well as starting my new seat in two months.

Stuart Neely, First Year Trainee

Looking for Trainees

2011-01-13T09:14:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder to you all that we are now accepting applications for our 2011 Vacation and 2013 Training contracts. You can find out more at our Trainee website here.

Also, current Trainee vacancies for our Brussels and Hamburg offices are available on the careers section of our firm website here.

All the best.

Amelia Goodwin, HR Officer

What can I say...

2010-12-24T02:02:00.000-08:00

As we reach the end of 2010, what can I say about the first four months of my Training Contract?

Well, to start with I’m lucky enough to be spending my first seat in the Intellectual Property and Technology Dispute Resolution group. The department has a wealth of experience in patent, trade mark, copyright, passing off, domain name, design right and breach of confidence claims, not to mention expertise in IT and franchising/licensing disputes. Aside from the exciting and varied work and the seemingly never-ending list of impressive clients, the people in the department are fantastic to work with. As well as being experts in their field, the team are friendly and down to earth. The partners’ doors are always open and they seem genuinely interested in our development as Trainees.

This leads me on to the open and friendly culture within the firm. Many of my fellow trainees have echoed this sentiment in their blogs, and I don’t want to labour the point, but I can honestly say that Field Fisher Waterhouse is a great place to work. What’s more, the firm seem to have a knack for recruiting intakes that seem to click. We are a diverse bunch from all sorts of backgrounds who get on really well. After work drinks have always been a regular occurrence, but rather worryingly Karaoke seems to be becoming popular of late.

As it is almost Christmas, I should probably mention our recent Christmas parties. I’ve been to two in the last few weeks. The first was Trainee organised which the ‘Trainees-to-be’ were invited to. One of the great things about the firm is the involvement that future Trainees have with the current intake. It was an excellent opportunity for them to meet their future colleagues in a social setting, and will ease those first-day nerves already knowing a fair amount of people.

Watch this space for pictures from the Trainee party in the New Year. The second party was a departmental one which happened to be on the very next day. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending how you look at it, both involved cocktail making master classes. My cocktail repertoire has increased substantially; although I’m steering well clear of Long Island Iced Teas for a little while..

Tommy McKenna, First Year Trainee

Detective work & football hooligans

2010-12-22T02:24:00.000-08:00

I am currently half way through my first seat of my training contract, in Dispute Resolution. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I first started here, but had heard that the work was extremely varied and that I would gain fantastic contentious experience. So far this has reigned true!

I found the learning curve to be quite steep initially, probably because I completed my LPC two and a half years ago and I was therefore rather rusty. What feels like ‘information overload’ when you first start can be quite daunting! It also took a few weeks for me to get used to the level of multi tasking required, not only as a Trainee, but specifically due to the variety of work and clients in this department. I find this challenging at times, learning how to organise my work and prioritise, but it also keeps things interesting.

There is rarely an idle moment in Dispute Resolution, but an ‘average day’ might encompass a court visit or client meeting; urgent research on anything from illegal phone tapping to insolvency/bankruptcy procedures; and perhaps a bit of Inspector Gadget role-playing, when liaising with commercial intelligence suppliers trying to trace seemingly untraceable football hooligans! The cases themselves have so far revolved around small to large contractual disputes and debt claims where, on some, I have been involved in pre-action negotiations and commencing proceedings all the way through to judgment. The clients and opponents have been exciting, ranging from nightclubs, sports clubs and football charities to large travel agencies and hotels. I have also been quite heavily involved in Pro Bono here.

One of the great aspects of this department is that everyone is really friendly and appreciates that, as a trainee, we are just starting out in our careers. When you do the late nights or early starts, they are appreciated rather than expected. The ‘juniors’ are also great at smiling and pretending that your questions aren’t stupid when you know that really they are! As Alex mentioned, it has also been nice to have another Trainee next door – usually one of us will have done something similar for a different partner and we are always prepared to muck in and help each other out.

Aside from the work in my department, it has been great playing the odd game of netball with the firm's netball team. Jenny Bradley twisted my arm and, although I am reluctant to admit it, I now really enjoy playing again! Having said that, you won't find me out prancing about on a netball court in these Arctic winter months... Sorry Jen.

I look forward to seeing what the New Year has in store for me both in Dispute Resolution as well as in my next seat!

Daania Karim, First Year Trainee