I completed my Law LLB at the University of Nottingham, graduating in 2022. I then went on to obtain an LLM from the University of Law, graduating in 2025.
It is a cliché, but growing up I always enjoyed debating (and arguing), and that is what first drew me to law. I was also attracted to working in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. I am at my best when I am kept busy and enjoy pushing myself to take on new challenges. Law offers exactly that, and there is always an opportunity to develop and test yourself. That early interest in debating is also why I have gravitated towards contentious work rather than non-contentious.
I applied to a number of firms during my training contract search, but Winston Taylor was the one whose values aligned most closely with my own, and is likely why we are a good match. What stood out was the balance it strikes between a genuinely friendly and welcoming culture and the quality of work on offer. The firm acts for some of the largest companies in the world as well as high net worth individuals, so you get exposure to complex and interesting matters from an early stage. For me, it offered the best of both worlds, a supportive environment in which to develop, combined with challenging, high-caliber work.
My first seat was in employment, my second in disputes and investigations, and at the time of writing I am about to move into contentious construction. In both of my previous seats I was fully integrated into the team and given plenty of client-facing time. In my current seat I primarily work on three large matters and then pick up ad hoc tasks across the wider team as needed.
For one of my main matters I am responsible for reviewing all of the previous day’s correspondence each morning and emailing a summary of the outstanding work to the team. This helps everyone keep track of what is happening elsewhere and stay on top of their own tasks. After that I will normally pick up work on my other matters or assist with ad hoc tasks across the wider team. My day-to-day work includes typical trainee responsibilities such as research and document review, but I have also been trusted to take on more complex tasks such as drafting. I attend weekly catch-up meetings with clients and have had the opportunity to speak at those meetings to explain the work we have carried out.
The work is genuinely interesting. A number of the cases I have been involved in over the past few months have been referenced in the Financial Times, which gives you a real sense of the significance of what you are working on. The work is both challenging and enjoyable, and I find that the more you get involved, the more interesting it becomes. Litigation also suits my personality, I really enjoy the strategic element of managing a case, thinking through the different options and working out the best approach for the client.
I think for most careers the biggest challenge is the adjustment from university to working a nine-to-five job. I was fortunate that I worked for two years after university before starting my training contract, which made that transition much smoother. The workload from the SQE also helped in as it taught me to manage my time effectively, which is something that feeds directly into good time management in practice.
I ensure I maintain hobbies outside of work, particularly the gym and football. I am involved with a number of different football teams across the week, which gives me flexibility, if I have to miss one session, I can still make another. I also have a love-hate relationship with running and do try to force myself out when I can. Work helps with this as I completed the Vienna Marathon with Winston Taylor. The firm has its own football team too, so both the marathon and the football are great examples of the crossover between professional and personal life, and another thing that makes Winston Taylor a good place to work.
That partners are not approachable. In my experience, everyone I have worked with across all levels has been friendly and eager to take the time to explain things. If you show genuine interest, people recognize it and will go out of their way to help you.
The current cliché answer would be AI, so to avoid repeating what others will say, I would point to the unpredictability in the markets we and our clients operate in. Modern markets have been turbulent, and recently global geopolitical events have had a significant impact.
Domestically, we have had seven prime ministers in the last ten years, each bringing policy changes that affect the business landscape. On the wider stage, the closure of shipping lanes, wars, and tariffs have all created uncertainty for clients and the firms that advise them. The law firms that can adjust the quickest, or even stay ahead of these trends, will be the most successful.
Diversity is really important, and the firm offers a number of schemes that help underrepresented groups access a career in law. One of my initial application questions with the firm was about why diversity matters, and I remember writing that diversity brings people together with a range of different ideas and creates a welcoming environment. That is not only good for productivity, but also for culture, and having now experienced it first-hand, I stand by that view.
I am taking it one step at a time, but my first target is to complete my training contract and hopefully join Winston Taylor’s disputes and investigations team. Looking further ahead, I am interested in completing the higher rights of audience qualification as I would like to explore advocacy opportunities, particularly in arbitration. Above all, I want to continue working on the largest and most complex matters the firm has to offer.
Perseverance is the most important thing. I needed a few application cycles before I secured a training contract, and the average qualification age keeps going up. If you do not get a training contract one year, do not be discouraged, continue to seek out legal work experience, attend events, and complete virtual schemes to demonstrate your interest and strengthen your applications. Even working a part-time job gives you transferable skills and content to draw on in your applications and interview.
