My summer placement at Speechly Bircham

George studied Music at Nottingham University, completed his GDL at the Nottingham Law School, and is currently studying for his LPC. He attended the summer vacation scheme in 2010 and will join the firm as a trainee solicitor in September 2012.

Fresh out of the GDL, and having moved to London on the night before the start of the scheme, I felt slightly underprepared for what was my first vacation scheme. Soon after arrival, however, I was put at ease. We were shown into a room with HR for introductions and to find out about the action-packed three weeks ahead. After a hectic first day including a lunch with the trainees and an introduction into the firm’s computer systems, we were ready to be taken to our first seats.

My first seat was in the IPTC group; having written a research project on the law of copyright and having had some work experience in the area, I was particularly excited by this seat. I had been told that it was one of the firm’s busiest groups, with a particularly large case coming to an end at the High Court. The forewarnings were confirmed as soon as I walked into the group, but I was still greeted by everyone, who willingly gave their time to fill me in on the work they were involved in. I was struck by the balance between the fast pace and the friendly atmosphere within the group. Having made an attempt at understanding the basics of the case, I was taken to the High Court to watch the questioning of the expert witness and was able to sit on the front row just in front of counsel. I was also given some more hands-on work by others, such as putting together a research file on the laws and data protection issues surrounding RFID technology, and looking into the consequences that the new government would have on the technology industries. I hugely enjoyed my first week; the quality of work that I was given combined with the friendliness and willingness to help of the whole group from the trainees to the partners had made a very positive impression on me.

For my second week I was based in the Real Estate group; once again, the time that everyone was willing to give me was remarkable given that everyone clearly had a lot on their own plates. My first assignment was to work through the deeds of a lease and to get to grips with the formalities surrounding a licence to alter, and the concept of disregarding works for rent review. It was great to get more of a practical perspective on some of the material I’d learnt on the Land Law course on the GDL. One of the most interesting tasks for the week was to put together a research file on a potential judicial review in relation to a large development project. After trawling through council meeting notes, and literally thousands of complaints by members of the public, I was able to put together a file for one of the solicitors in the group from which their work could develop. I also drafted a transfer of a property for one of the trainees; though it was quite a difficult challenge, I was given plenty of guidance. The exercise was a very useful one for me, particularly given all the time the trainee gave me in order to explain the elements of the task.

By the time the third week was upon us, we had really settled into the firm, showing the benefits of having the three week scheme. I sat in the well-renowned Private Client Services division. I had no experience of such work, but on balance, I have come out of the scheme with the most interest in this area. I was fascinated to look into the trusts that had been set up for clients, and the formalities and issues surrounding them. I put together a spreadsheet for one particularly large trusts portfolio, which helped me understand some of the central concepts of the area. I was also briefed on a professional negligence claim and given the task of putting together a bundle for Leading Counsel, and produced some research documents on exemptions from inheritance tax. Again the atmosphere in the division struck me; it was great to be a part of a hard-working, efficient team of the highest standard who did not take themselves too seriously.

During our placement, we all got involved in the social side of the firm. Events were organised for us, including a quiz and a trip on the London Eye, and we were also invited to the firm’s summer party on the north bank of the Thames. The party was a great chance to get to know people throughout the firm, future trainees, and the other vacation scheme students, and to show off a few dance moves! During my second week I also played for the Speechlys football team. It was great fun, though in my wild over-enthusiasm I managed to cut up my knees and was hobbling around work for a couple of days with blisters on my feet from the borrowed boots I had used! After the game, everyone went out for a beer, which was again a good chance to get to know some of the solicitors outside of work.

The effort that HR had gone to ensure that we had such an enjoyable and worthwhile scheme is illustrative of the nature of the firm as a whole; everyone I encountered during the three weeks was keen to help out. I can thoroughly recommend the scheme to potential applicants in search of a dynamic law firm with an interesting variety of work and a great culture. Bring some football boots!