University: University of Oxford
Degree: History
Year of qualification: 2024
Position: Associate
Department: Corporate/M&A/private equity
Pronouns: He/him

Why solicitor not barrister?

I always enjoyed playing team sports while growing up, and so I thought that I’d be more suited to life as a solicitor because I understood that it would involve constantly working as part of a team. Since I have started working, I think the sense of team spirit and camaraderie is a huge part of why I enjoy being a solicitor. The communal sense of achievement when the team has worked hard on a signing or closing is a tough feeling to beat!

How did you decide which firms to apply to?

I spent some time on each of the relevant firms’ websites to try and get a sense for the type of work, clients and transactions each firm worked on. I also found the application process for each firm a good opportunity to learn about firms and where they saw themselves in the wider solicitor market.

What do you think made your application successful?

Before submitting any applications, I took some time to think about the strengths that were particular to me. While applying for roles, I tried to make sure that those strengths were at the forefront of each of my responses to ensure that I was clearly showing what made me well suited to working at a law firm.

What do you wish you’d known about being a trainee before you started that you now do?

No one is expecting you to arrive on day one with all of the answers! Everyone you’ll be working with at some point has been a trainee and has made mistakes, and what’s most important is to start the training contract with an open mind and a willingness to learn.

Please outline your area of expertise. What might you do in a typical day?

I’m an associate in Kirkland’s M&A/corporate team, where we’re advising our private equity clients on a wide range of matters, whether it be:

• the acquisition/sale of a portfolio company;
• the establishment and running of a management incentive programme; or
• the day-to-day corporate housekeeping of our clients’ portfolio companies.

Each day is highly varied, with tasks for a junior lawyer ranging from conducting due diligence to the drafting of documents in a transaction. Given the highly global nature of the transactions that we work on, we’re also continually working closely with law firms around the world.

What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of life as a lawyer?

I think the most challenging aspect of life as a lawyer, and particularly at Kirkland is the fact that you’re always having to juggle a number of timelines for different transactions. A vital skill that you have to develop as a junior lawyer is the ability to manage your time effectively to ensure that you’re meeting competing deadlines. This is also where having effective communication skills can be most important, to ensure that you’re keeping the relevant team members/clients up to date with your progress on tasks.

Definitely the most rewarding part of being a transactional lawyer is getting a signing or closing over the line. A signing or closing is the culmination of weeks of hard work and it’s great to share that sense of achievement with the rest of the team and the clients.

How involved are you with business development and promoting the firm?

Business development is emphasised at all levels of the firm. This ranges from attending client events, to organising a coffee/ breakfast with a junior at a client private equity house, to the day-to-day ‘soft’ business development of communicating with clients over email, phone and in meetings. Business development is very much seen as a collective effort at the firm.

What makes your firm stand out from the rest?

Kirkland has a very clear business model, which I believe makes it a very transparent place to join and work. The firm has a clear focus on private equity, and so, as an applicant, it made it much clearer to wrap my head around:

• the type of work the firm does;
• the skills I’d require to be successful at the firm; and
• the type of clients that the firm works with.

Since joining the firm, I’ve found the firm culture to be collegiate and meritocratic with a real emphasis on giving junior lawyers early responsibility.

What skills/strengths do you need to be a successful solicitor?

I think communication is one of the most important skills/strengths to be a successful solicitor. Whether that be communicating internally to the rest of the deal team or communicating with clients, it’s important to be clear and concise in the legal advice that you’re providing.

What advice do you have for budding solicitors who are contemplating a career in law?

It’s never too early to start building up commercial knowledge! I think the easiest way to do that is to keep up to date with global news and have a think about the commercial/legal reasons for why business decisions have been made (whether that be a football club being bought or an international trade deal being negotiated).

Does your department largely work independently, in support of another dept or is it routinely supported by other depts?

A great part about training and working at Kirkland is that all of the departments work closely together to provide the best client service possible. Being in the M&A team, we heavily rely on the expertise of all of the other departments at the firm in order to provide a ‘one-shop-stop’ service for our clients. This also means that, as a junior lawyer, you’re encouraged to grow an internal network within the firm that you can go to when you have questions on a transaction.

Describe the firm in three words

Dynamic, collegiate and ambitious.

What’s the biggest opportunity you’ve been given since joining the firm?

I think you’re constantly given the opportunity to develop and be pushed out of your comfort zone at Kirkland. A huge emphasis is placed on active learning and getting stuck into matters and transactions. Therefore, you’re always being given the opportunity to upskill and learn. I have countless scenarios of where I’ve been trusted with a task that has stretched me, but then I’ve also been given the support required to learn and develop from the task.

What’re you reading at the moment?

A biography of Peter the Great. It’s, admittedly, a slow read!