Frankfurt

They call it "Mainhattan" - with its abundance of skyscrapers rising up from the idyllic banks of the river Main, Frankfurt is proud to be the only German city with an American-style skyline.

Having lived in Germany for many years while growing up, I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to gain an insight into the German legal system. I am currently working in the financing group at Hengeler Mueller, a top calibre firm that attracts high-profile work and clients.

From the outset, I have been involved in a lot of very interesting work, including a large cross-border refinancing transaction working alongside Uría Menéndez, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, and Slaughter and May. I have been given a good level of responsibility in the work I am doing which is really rewarding.

My colleagues are all very friendly and welcoming and have helped me feel part of the team from the very start. I am now a member of the firm’s choir, which most recently performed at the Hengeler Mueller annual reunion in Berlin.

Frankfurt, birthplace of Goethe (its most famous writer) and host of the first German national assembly, is the perfect city to live in. In addition to its two opera houses and numerous theatres and museums, it offers many parks and a beautiful riverside which can be enjoyed in the warmer months of the year.

• Isabella Costelloe
• Trainee secondment