Trainee Profiles
Charlotte English
Solicitor (Newly Qualified), London
Worked on secondment with a client in the fifth seat of her training contract.
1. Describe your average day
Start work at 9.30am. Coffee. Check emails. Answer various queries from people - usually concerning intellectual property, data protection, marketing, advertising, labelling, competition law. Review/draft or amend some contracts (sponsorship, distribution, trading agreements). Liaise with external lawyers in relation to ongoing employment and litigation matters. Call/email the Trainees at Halliwells to catch up on the gossip. Scour eBay for anyone selling any of our products in breach of our copyrights, trade marks etc. Some company secretarial work. Help prepare presentations and training seminars for various internal departments ("what the legal team can do for Marketing/Sales teams" etc). Leave the office at about 7pm, either to go home or to meet up with Halliwells people for a drink or two.
2. What has been your scariest experience?
My first day, watching the person I would be taking over from in a few days looking so relaxed and knowing so much - I remember being terrified and thinking that I'd never be able to fill his shoes.
3. What has been your funniest experience?
Being treated like a client by colleagues and superiors at Halliwells.
4. What have you enjoyed the most?
Getting to know and spending time with people, both within the legal team and from other areas of the business - I have made lots of new friends and contacts.
5. What have you enjoyed the least?
I guess it would be not being at Halliwells and feeling a little out of touch with all the goings-on there (although this just seems to mean I spend more time gossiping with the other Trainees after work, in a bar, as opposed to during office hours!).
6. What are the top three benefits of being on secondment?
- Getting to know a client really well - both the people and what it is they want and need in their external lawywers
- Gaining confidence in advising people, without the security of knowing that a Partner/Supervisor will correct you if you're wrong!
- Understanding the 'bigger picture' behind the work that you do and developing a commercial way of thinking
