New York secondment story

When I look out of my office window at the famous Chrysler building and down on the yellow cabs passing below, I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to spend six months on secondment in New York. While a placement in a foreign country may initially seem daunting, my colleagues at Davis Polk & Wardwell gave me a warm welcome and are extremely friendly. Their work-hard/play-hard attitude has made it easy to immerse myself in both the work and the social activities and I have really got to know people at the firm.

At the office, I have been involved in numerous M&A deals, ranging from a large tender offer (the US equivalent of a public takeover) to smaller, private transactions. I have also had the chance to lead elements of transactions and my colleagues are always happy to help if I need them to.

Outside work, New York has more to offer than you could possibly imagine. From streets upon streets of fantastic restaurants and bars, to ballet, opera, museums and galleries on every corner (not to mention the shopping); there is something here for everyone. New York is also ideally placed to explore the East Coast; it’s easy to take weekend trips to Boston or Washington, go skiing in Vermont or visit the beaches in the Hamptons or Cape Cod. Spending Christmas in the city (especially with the snow, ice skating and beautiful decorations everywhere) has to be a highlight so far, but there’s still so much to look forward to!

• Robyn Butler
• Trainee secondment