Meet Our Trainees
Razia Begum | Clare McRoberts | Alistair Dunstan | Leonard Taylor | Paul Walters
Razia Begum
First week
I went to Chicago to attend the annual Firm-wide orientation programme for new joiners. This involved Firm presentations over meals with fellow colleagues and a schedule of social events. The programme proved to be an excellent opportunity to get to know the Firm; it became apparent that the Firm thrives on its international structure and that the London office does not operate in isolation.
Training
Intially, m uch of my time was spent on formal training, such as attending courses on how to best utilise key legal information sources. Training is encouraged at McDermott, and is regarded as part of one’s personal and professional development.
First seat: Banking Finance and Energy
I was involved on a number of projects and there was a variety in the work I was doing. As time progressed I was given more responsibility, however, at all times, there was supervision and support available from the team in general and the partner working on the particular project. Questions are encouraged and senior colleagues are always willing to explain the transaction in a manner which ensures that you become a functional member of the team. In particular, I became involved on two complex and major cross-border and multijurisdictional deals. Both deals presented me with the opportunity to experience a high level of client interaction on a daily basis, and also to undertake more challenging work, such as assisting with the drafting of various legal documents and helping on the closing of the deals.
Second seat: Corporate
In addition to managing smaller tasks, such as producing company reports and assisting on a daily basis with disclosures for a hedge fund, I became fully occupied on an initial public offering on the official list, the first ever of its kind, and on the launch of a number of ETF securities to trading on the LSE. The responsibility and accordingly my level of input on both deals gave me a tremendous sense of satisfaction and invaluable experience.
Third seat: Employment
During this seat, I was involved on a number of matters. Tasks varied from drafting employment contracts and handbooks, to assisting with the case management and bundling for a high-profile discrimination case brought in the Employment Tribunal. I also worked on some pro bono litigation where I drafted the submissions for the county court appeal hearing, and handled the advocacy on behalf of the client for the appeal hearing itself.
Fourth seat: Intellectual Property Media & Technology
I am involved in two major High Court litigations. I am also working on an extensive disclosure exercise, and will be involved in the drafting of witness statements for at least one of the cases.
Clare McRoberts
From the first week as a trainee at McDermott you get the feeling that your training contract is going to be different from those offered by other firms.
Firstly, there is the Firm orientation which is held in Chicago. The orientation is a session of seminars, small group discussions and social events that allow all new joiners to become familiar with the character and approach of the Firm. This event is a great opportunity for London trainees to meet our US colleagues, and feel included as part of the Firm as a whole.
Although I came to the Firm with a good idea of the areas in which I wanted to gain experience, the Firm has been there to support me and adapt to the changes I have made to that overall plan. I feel this support and understanding will continue throughout my training contract.
From day one you will be treated as a valuable member of the team, and given good work that will challenge you. During my first seat, Tax, I was working directly with the head of the group on certain transactions with no associates involved, and acting as the main point of contact for foreign counsel, often partners and senior associates, in about half a dozen jurisdictions in a global business restructuring. By my second seat, Securitisation and Structured Finance, I was given the responsibility of dealing directly with clients. I was assisting senior associates with the drafting of documents and aiding partners directly on deal closings. However, I have never felt out of my depth or unsupported, and this high level of responsibility allows you to build confidence at an early stage which will be valuable throughout your career.
Alistair Dunstan
The variety of work, level of responsibility and the number of high-profile complex deals was what I enjoyed most during my first seat in the Securitisation and Structured Finance Practice Group at McDermott.
Working with partners who are leaders in their field meant being involved in very large, unprecedented transactions. The experience gained was invaluable and made you really feel part of the team. Despite the photocopying horror stories you hear from trainees, administrative duties such as these only play a small part of a regular week at McDermott. The more interesting and challenging work I undertook included drafting numerous commercial paper conduit documentation, drafting initial draft agreements for a $6 billion synthetic securitisation transaction, undertaking complex research projects, liaising with clients and other parties to each deal, amending an information memorandum for the purposes of listing it as well as drafting pitches for potential clients.
After my first six months at the Firm, I strongly believe that a training contract at McDermott is suited for aspiring and entrepreneurial individuals, who are not afraid of taking on a challenge as well as the extra responsibility. For those who want to feel like the work they are undertaking is crucial to the outcome of a deal and that work effectively in a close-knit team, then McDermott is well worth considering.
Leonard Taylor
I joined McDermott in September 2007, with my first seat being in the Banking, Energy and Finance Practice Group. Currently I am sitting in the Employment Practice Group.
It is true that no two weeks are the same. My time can be consumed with a variety of tasks for a variety of people, and owing to the size of the office and number of trainees you really can get a significant amount of exposure to interesting work and levels of responsibility.
Often, I am involved with preparing first drafts of documents and research memoranda and have a high level of partner contact. Everyone finds the time to explain things if you find yourself in need of guidance with a particular task. The atmosphere is clearly supportive.
Although no two weeks are the same, in a typical week in the Employment Practice Group, I could be attending a tribunal hearing, preparing first drafts of policies or involved in a research task for an associate or partner.
Each week we have a know-how meeting, where the whole department meets to discuss recent case law and legislative developments. This is an excellent opportunity to keep up to date with employment law and to interact and engage with the whole practice.
A small part of your time as a trainee is taken up with tasks which all trainees share, such as company searches, research tasks and taking documents to court.
It is an exciting time to be part of McDermott with its growth strategy which sees significant expansion in London.
If you are looking for a challenging yet rewarding training contract in a large international law firm, but would welcome being in a an office which is small enough to maintain a personal approach, and allows for a high level of responsibility, then this is the firm for you.
Paul Walters
McDermott combines the best of both worlds: the London office is part of an international network of offices. As such you will work for large, multinational clients on complex, rewarding transactions. Being part of close knit partner-lead teams gives unparalleled client contact and the possibility for individual excellence to be recognised and rewarded.
It is my understanding that at larger UK firms, there can be an unenviable level of administrative and secretarial work given to trainees. An intake of 80 or more trainees does not allow the same exposure to clients, involvement in transactions or attention from partners as a smaller intake. By contrast, many smaller firms do not have the reputation to attract big ticket work from sophisticated clients.
For example, I completed a secondment at a major client bank’s transaction management group working in global corporate trust. This experience was enormously beneficial both on a personal and professional level as well as developing a deeper client relationship.
The social and cultural aspect of a firm are crucial to your training. McDermott attracts friendly, approachable professionals, and fosters an environment of integration, communication and respect. Partners’ doors are always open. The Firm keeps in touch with future trainees, we recently took the next two years’ trainee intakes for dinner.
I would encourage you not to view law firms as indistinguishable from each other, as they are not. Examine your own requirements (responsibility, level of client contact) and examine firms with a critical eye. Your average working week at McDermott will be a challenging, rewarding experience in a friendly professional environment: one which I consider myself lucky to be a part of.