Curious what it's really like to work as a corporate trainee?

Joining the corporate team at Gilson Gray as trainee has brought a diversity of experiences and opportunities, from those which one might expect having done the company law module on the LLB, to whole new experiences and work-types. The team’s work is varied and therefore presents a steep, but exciting learning curve.  Every week brings something new to my table, creating development opportunities, and an interesting environment.

We start the week with a team meeting to ensure we know the deals and other transactions and projects that people are working on. This allows for efficient allocation of the junior resource to support the partners. The meeting is great for helping the team stay agile and informed of the holistic view of the team’s work.

As a trainee, you get to participate in all aspects of the team’s work. On one hand, we may be supporting a share purchase for a company, preparing the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) and accompanying documents. These documents form the backbone of many corporate transactions and as a trainee you get to aid in the process. I might also spend the day preparing due diligence questionnaires, looking through disclosure bundles, and cross–referencing them with the SPA. Other times I have been drafting ancillary documents, or reviewing clauses under the supervision of the partner responsible for the deal.

Working in the team, I have also got exposure to Shareholders’ Agreements (SHAs). The SHA gives a fascinating insight to how the client wants the ‘rules’ of their company to be applied and the dynamic between the shareholders to operate. Working with experienced partners is helpful, seeing the advice they give clients, applying their wealth of knowledge on where things can go wrong and what the client must think about now to protect themselves in the future.

There is plenty of other work which brings further variety to what we do, such as helping clients review or negotiate contracts and review other constitutional documents such as the Articles of Association. I have learned to spot clauses that may clash with a new deal or that may need updating before moving forward.

One of my favourite parts of the job is dealing with the clients. Sometimes it is the first introduction call to see if we can help the client with their current situation, or it can be follow up meetings to ensure they fully understand the advice and to help them in negotiations with the other side to reach a position.

Every week brings something different, and that is what I enjoy the most. Watching the partners, hearing their advice and taking onboard their feedback on the work you have carried out is an invaluable experience in your development as a solicitor. As a trainee coming into the corporate team at Gilson Gray you get the opportunity to participate, and always under the watchful eye of a partner to ensure our advice to clients is correct and to help in your personal development and support.

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The information and opinions contained in this blog are for information only.  They are not intended to constitute advice and should not be relied upon or considered as a replacement for advice.  Before acting on any information contained in this blog, please seek solicitor’s advice from Gilson Gray.