Addleshaw Goddard Trainee Profiles

Jessica Chapman, Trainee

University attended: University of Leeds - LLB Law; University of Law (Liverpool) - LPC

Degree qualification and year of graduation: 2:1 LLB Law (2018); Distinction LPC (2020)

I graduated from the University of Leeds in 2018 and subsequently took a year out to travel Australia. Whilst travelling, I applied for the Addleshaw Goddard Training Contract and, after a video interview and assessment centre, I was offered the contract to commence in March 2021.

I decided to apply to Addleshaw Goddard as I wanted to work at an international commercial firm with the opportunity to work on large-scale transactions. The firm's culture is a major selling point, and something I really value working here. Everybody is approachable and friendly, and happy to answer any questions you may have; which, as a trainee, is a lot!

The training contract involves four six-month seats, each in a different department. As trainees, we are able to rank our top five preferences for the department we would like to sit in. I am currently in my fourth and final seat in the Commercial Litigation team. My previous seats have been Corporate, Real Estate (Transactional) and Employment & Immigration. 

Trainee tasks vary from seat to seat however, I would say typical tasks are drafting and research. Trainees are given a good level of responsibility and are valued members of the team.

I enjoy that no two days are the same as a trainee. The variety of work trainees can get involved with is extensive, and there is always something new to learn. For example, my previous seat was a mix of contentious and non-contentious work therefore, one day I could be attending a preliminary hearing, and the next I could be drafting advice notes on immigration queries. I also enjoy the fast-paced nature of the work, and seeing a matter through from beginning to end. 

Trainees receive training, both virtual and in person, over the course of their seat and it is tailored to the seat they are in. There are also plenty of resources within Addleshaw Goddard that trainees can utilise such as PLC, Lexis Nexis, Addleshaw Goddard's research and knowledge services and numerous e-learning modules.

There are also plenty of networks and committees to become involved with at Addleshaw Goddard. For example, I am on the Charity Committee, Trainee Committee and am a member of both the AG Embrace and VINE networks. Joining the networks and committee's allows me to meet people from other areas of the business and build upon my network. 

A particular highlight of my training contract includes assisting with the IPO of a large online retailer. There was a large amount of client contact and it was great to assist on such a large-scale transaction. 

Challenges faced during my training contract vary from seat to seat. I initially found it difficult to start my training contract working from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as it was hard to get to know the team and learn by osmosis. However, I scheduled a lot of 'virtual coffees' with the team as a way to introduce myself, and as the Covid-19 restrictions eased over 2021 more people came into the office. I now feel that the flexible working is beneficial as it assists with work life balance. The team come into the office 2-3 days a week now, with some teams having 'anchor' days so that everybody is in the office on the same day. This is certainly helpful when starting a new seat!

Changing seat is similar, in my opinion, to starting a new job as it is a new team and new area of law. This can be a little daunting at first, but everybody is verywelcoming and conscious of your level of knowledge and ability.

Cameron Kang, Trainee

University of Birmingham, First Class Honours, 2020

I completed the AG summer vacation scheme in 2019 and was offered a training contract following the vacation scheme. The vacation scheme was a fantastic opportunity to experience AG's collegiate culture first-hand and to gain broad exposure to the types of work that trainees are involved in. Having greatly enjoyed the vacation scheme, I accepted the training contract at AG to commence in 2021.

The AG training contract is a two year programme that is open to both law and non-law graduates. Throughout the training contract, you are required to undertake four different six month seats across various teams. My first seat was in the Construction & Engineering team and my second seat was in the Structured Finance team. I am currently in the Infrastructure, Projects and Energy team. Throughout my training contract so far, my supervisors have been heavily invested in my development and have consistently encouraged me to take on more responsibility. Everyone in the firm, from associate through to partner, is always approachable and willing to take the time to explain things to you.

Prior to starting a new seat, you will receive formal training sessions covering the basics of the areas of law relevant to the seat. You will also undertake formal training relating to typical trainee tasks within a seat. Furthermore, given AG's strong focus on using legal technology to improve efficiency, it is now also common to receive training sessions on the various legal technology resources available to you in a seat. Lastly, there are always ongoing training sessions throughout the seat which serve as refreshers or updates on key areas of the law.

Informal training is equally as important, and this often occurs when your supervisor or other lawyers are sharing feedback with you on work that you have completed. I have found that I also learn a lot by asking questions whenever possible and by simply being curious – there is a lot to be learnt by overhearing other lawyers on phone calls in the office!

During my training contract, I have been involved with various matters ranging from the development of a large apartment complex to the refinancing of luxury hotels around Europe. I have worked with a range of clients such as developers and banks and this has challenged me to think about matters from different commercial perspectives. The variety of practice areas open to trainees at AG also ensures that you are always developing different but often transferable skills in each seat.

The typical activities and key responsibilities of a trainee depend on the type of seat. A litigation seat may involve attending court hearings, doing document review and legal research. The seats that I have done so far have been predominantly transactional with some advisory elements too. In a transactional seat, the trainee will often be the first point of contact for the client and in any correspondence with other lawyers or other parties. As part of managing a transaction, you will also often be the person keeping track of how everything is progressing.

Drafting is another key responsibility in a transactional seat. You will be involved with drafting smaller ancillary documents as a trainee and gradually encouraged to draft or review more complex documents as you progress through each seat. One of the most satisfying things about the job is when you head towards the end of a seat and see how much you have learnt in a matter of months!

The transition from university to working as a trainee has been the biggest challenge that I have faced. There is a very steep learning curve and a lot of information to take in during your first few weeks. Thankfully, there is a very large support network at AG. You are allocated a trainee buddy when you start to help you settle in and also an AG mentor that is a qualified lawyer in a different team to yours. Your supervisor will also provide guidance and every supervisor understands that there is a steep learning curve at the beginning of the training contract. My biggest takeaway from this challenge is knowing the importance of asking questions and making the most of the support available to you. 

William Sharpe, Trainee

University attended: University of Strathclyde (LLB), University of Glasgow (Diploma)

Degree qualification and year of graduation: First Class LLB (with Clinical) Honours – 2020, Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Practice - 2021

I was first drawn to the firm after meeting several trainees and associates from the firm at a number of university-organised networking sessions and hearing about the culture of the firm first hand from those currently working there. Obviously liking what I had heard, I then undertook the firm's spring vacation scheme when I was in my third year of my LLB, an experience designed to see if I was a good fit for the firm and vice versa. By the end of my week placement I had no doubt that AG was the firm for me, with it being clear that the firm lived up to its promises of providing an inclusive and nurturing environment where I could really see myself getting the most out of my traineeship. Fortunately, the firm also thought I'd make a good fit, and I was offered to begin a training contract when I finished university.

So far I have undertaken seats in the Corporate team and the Restructuring team and I have recently begun my 3rd seat in the Real Estate Finance team. My day to day is kept exciting by undertaking a wide variety of tasks, and engaging with interesting clients providing work that is consistently of a high quality. For example, in the Restructuring team, I have undertaken work that has reached into other areas of law such as Corporate, Commercial, Finance, Conveyancing and Litigation, allowing me the opportunity to practice in all these different areas of law and keep things interesting. 

I have particularly enjoyed that as well as working as part of a larger team to deliver bigger deals, I am also given the trust and responsibility to work smaller matters myself. Such smaller matters provide great opportunities to improve on client management skills, with you being the main point of contact for clients, as well as getting the opportunity to go about matters in your way and put your developed skills into practice. The fact that the firm provides trainees with such opportunities at such an early stage, demonstrates the trust and confidence that the firm puts in its trainees. 

The firm is devoted to ensuring that the training received by trainees is second to none, with trainees receiving team-specific training at the beginning of every seat, then ongoing training sessions throughout the seat including a variety of non-legal training, such as regular commercial awareness updates. The training resources that the firm provide are of the highest quality and it is clear when you are undergoing these sessions, that they are being led by the experts of those subjects and you really are learning from the best. Our learning from these experts is not limited to the training sessions though, as we are encouraged to reach out to such experts for advice or assistance whenever needed in order to best equip ourselves for our work and our own development. Together, all of these elements provide the perfect environment and resources for trainees to really get the most out of their traineeship and learn as much as they can in each of their seats.

One of the things I have enjoyed most about my traineeship so far is the exposure I have had to clients. Having worked in a law clinic for several years, while at university, where I would regularly lead client meetings and calls and generally being used to being so hands on with clients, I was worried that I might not have as much day to day exposure with clients working in a large corporate firm. It didn’t take long to realise this was not something I needed to worry about, as I have had great client exposure form the get go. This exposure is not only from day to day work with clients but also the numerous business development and client relationship events I have been invited to and have taken part in. This has allowed me to get to know our clients on a much better level, improving my existing client relationships, but also allowing me to develop my own network and create new client relationships.