My career journey to Slaughter and May

I joined the firm as a trainee solicitor in 2021 - five years on, that decision has meant completing a stimulating training contract that comprised a secondment across the ocean; working on multifarious matters that have included takeovers, joint ventures, private acquisitions, reorganisations and corporate governance to name a few; and undertaking a client secondment, all while working with an incredible group of people.

What I relish most about my role here is that we work on different matters requiring us to continually adapt and provide advice that is innovative and commercially focussed. This ensures that my career is constantly developing and intellectually stimulating, and provides opportunities to take on increased levels of responsibility.

My day-to-day

On a day-to-day basis, the dynamic nature of the job requires working on matters across different sectors ranging from mainstream to highly bespoke.  I have been fortunate to work on a wide variety of matters across the spectrum since qualification - for instance, I have been involved with takeovers (advising Nationwide Building Society on its acquisition of Virgin Money UK PLC), private acquisitions ( advising Natwest on its acquisition of Evelyn Partners, advising Nucleus Financial Platforms on its acquisition of Third Financial), joint ventures (advising Allianz on the completion of its joint venture with Sanlam to combine their current and future operations across Africa, advising Global Infrastructure Partners on its creation of a 50:50 joint venture with ACS Group), alongside undertaking general corporate advisory work.

Working as part of the team advising Allianz on the completion of its joint venture with Sanlam to combine their current and future operations across Africa was a particular highlight - as a newly qualified solicitor, it was an excellent opportunity to run with my own workstreams and learn transaction management on a large and complex deal. 

I also recently had the opportunity to spend six months on client secondment to Barclays. The secondment was vital in understanding the operation, structure and processes of the client and their expectations of external counsel. At a personal level, it was an unparalleled opportunity to experience life as an in-house lawyer.

Innovative and commercially focused advice

What I relish most about my role here is that we work on different matters requiring us to continually adapt and provide advice that is innovative and commercially focussed.  This ensures that my career is constantly developing and intellectually stimulating, and provides opportunities to take on increased levels of responsibility.  As I progress, the role also necessitates managing teams and effectively delegating while retaining sufficient oversight.  Though this is challenging, it is crucial in developing interpersonal and leadership skills that are critical to the job.

My advice to candidates

Apply and do not be afraid to be yourself - the application process is focussed on getting to know the applicant as an individual.  Slaughter and May is an excellent place to learn and develop.