LawCareersNetLIVE London 2018: my experience

Application season is coming around again. In the next few months, one by one, firms will be opening up their applications for a vacation scheme or training contract. That means that soon enough, you’ll be scrolling through graduate recruitment websites and applying for open days or insights to support your reasons for applying to your dream firm.

The jam-packed day was filled with engaging panel discussions, interactive firm-led workshops and networking with likeminded candidates and recruiters from leading firms in the City.

Question time: the law firm as a business

The event commenced with a Question Time-style discussion with partners from the attending law firms: James Thompson (Baker McKenzie), Rupa Lakha (Charles Russell Speechlys), Andrew Nealon (Vinson & Elkins RLLP), and Vernon Dennis (Howard Kennedy). The topic for the panel was ‘The law firm as a business’. As an aspiring solicitor looking to enter the world of commercial law, this discussion highlighted that it was important for future lawyers to understand the commercial drivers behind law firms.

A law firm, like many of its clients, must turn over a profit and is subject to the changing stages of the economic cycle. For an example, in ‘bull’ markets, a law firm may find greater demand for its transactional services whereas a ‘bear’ market would not. Contrastingly, bull markets mean less work for contentious practices, while bBear markets mean more disputes and therefore more work for contentious practices.

Transitioning into some of the topical issues affecting businesses in general, the panellists decided to tackle the Brexit-sized elephant in the room. Though there was mention of the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and its impact on the M&A environment, the panellists suggested that the multijurisdictional nature of commercial law means that law firms will not be as badly affected as some other businesses.

The panellists concluded the discussion with a summary of how aspiring solicitors can gear up for a life in law and how to become a good commercial lawyer.

Workshop one: Ropes & Gray International LLP – negotiating commercial contracts

My first workshop was with Ropes & Gray International LLP on negotiating commercial contracts. In the workshop, we were separated into groups of five and assigned the party we were representing in a negotiation. After receiving some time to confer and plan out our strategy, we were put up against another group representing the other side. Trainees were assigned to each table to oversee the negotiations and gave us general feedback, reflecting on both our strengths and weaknesses as a side.

I learned about some of the practical considerations that lawyers must account for when protecting clients’ interests in this exercise. I also learned the importance of compromise to push forward a negotiation.

Workshop two: Vinson & Elkins RLLP – demystifying commercial awareness

The second workshop I went to was hosted by Vinson & Elkins RLLP on demystifying commercial awareness. Associates Emilie Stewart and Lauren Davies, along with partner Alistair Wishart, led the workshop, delivering an introductory presentation on the use of commercial awareness in practice. Shortly after, attendees were split into groups and given a package of mock newspaper articles. We were given a scenario involving an infrastructure matter and slowly deconstructed each article, extracting applicable points to our client’s dealings.

I learned about project finance and emerging markets in this exercise. More significantly, this exercise highlighted the impact of geopolitical and cultural factors on matters in developing markets.

Question time: key advice for applicants

This was a panel discussion which included representatives from Sidley Austin LLP, RPC, Watson Farley & Williams LLP and Nottingham Trent University to discuss the recruitment process for law firms. From discussing dos and don’ts on applications to recommending tips to delegates on how to best prepare for interviews, the panellists fleshed out efficient ways to approach different stages in the recruitment process. This discussion was highly informative and I learned how to better tailor my application to different firms. I also learned about the importance of understanding a law firm’s culture and how to properly gauge if a law firm is right for you.

Networking

In between the workshops and panel discussions, delegates had the opportunity to network with other lawyers, likeminded delegates and graduate recruitment representatives. Due to the selective nature of the conference and the large number of law firms attending, individual firm booths were not overcrowded. As a result, I was able to have some excellent conversations with some of the lawyers.

Ultimately, it was a chance to learn more about different law firms, as well as other people’s journeys into law and make some great friends along the way. Not to mention I was able to snag some amazing law merch!

Applications are open for LawCareersNetLIVE 2019 in Manchester, London and Bristol. Find out more and apply at https://live.lawcareers.net/.

Azan Ashai is a law graduate from the University of Winchester.