Michelmores has earnt its place as a Top 100 UK Law Firm and established itself as a leading contender in a number of markets, but the benefits of being a Trainee at the Firm go beyond the revenue of the business. Michelmores places its people at the heart of what it does, and for Trainees this means being afforded valuable experiences from the outset. These are some of the benefits which I think are unique to being a Trainee at a challenger law firm….
The Firm is instructed by a wide range of clients – from high-net-worth individuals and enterprises, to charities and local councils. As such, Trainees have exposure to various different types of clients and pieces of work. For example, I am currently sitting in the Transactional Real Estate Team which means I could be acting for developers on high-value land acquisitions or promotions one day, and on matters concerning residential property the next. Having had the opportunity to support on different stages of transactions from initial title due diligence through to post-completion, I have also experienced variety within the tasks themselves. This range of clients and work means that no two days have felt the same which is something I have found to be really engaging.
Additionally, Michelmores conducts work both nationally and internationally and provides a wide range of services to international clients, meaning there is also scope for Trainees to get involved with this work which is a really exciting prospect.
Since joining the Firm, I have experienced taking on different levels of responsibility. This has included working as part of a wider team as well as having the chance to take a leading role on matters. Taking on responsibility in these instances has been really valuable, giving me important experience and preparing me to run matters in the future. Trainees should ask themselves ‘why’ they are doing a particular task, to see how it fits within the overall transaction so they can be proactive in progressing next steps.
Further, whether working in a small or large team, the collaboration between colleagues is something I have really noticed. I have been able to work alongside colleagues from across the Firm, including Partners who are experts in their field but who are also happy to answer questions or just to have a chat when I see them.
One of the main benefits of being a Trainee at Michelmores is that colleagues are aware of who the Trainees are in the department, and in my experience have really made an effort to get me involved – whether that be work-related or by simply introducing themselves. All this adds to create a personable Firm culture which it is great to be a part of.
One of the key reasons that I applied to Michelmores was its ‘One Firm’ approach which allows Trainees the potential to take seats in Exeter, Bristol or London whilst also providing qualification opportunities into each of these offices. The opportunity to experience the different offices is a great offering. I caught up with Henny Knott, a First-Year Trainee in Asset Protection, who has spent time at all three of these offices and who stated:
‘I have enjoyed being able to experience three of the Firm’s offices: Exeter, Bristol and London. This has given me a great opportunity to work with different teams and individuals at the Firm, to attend more client meetings and to expand my network’.
If you’re wondering what life is like as a Trainee in our London office, please see Charlie’s ‘day in the life’ blog here.
Aside from work opportunities, the Firm also encourages Trainees to get involved in charity, networking and social events. Soon after joining the Firm, I took part in the Michelmores 5K Charity Run – it was great to see so many people in attendance both from the Firm and other businesses to help raise money for our charity partner, the Charlie Waller Trust. I also recently attended the Firm’s ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ event where I had the chance to hear from people who had recently left (and joined) Michelmores. It was fantastic to hear their experiences of working for the Firm and with the new Michelmores Alumni Network now set up – I hope to attend more of these events in the future.
