Graduate Careers in Law

Zoe is taking transactions from start to finish.

Since starting her training contract, Zoe has completed seats in Private Funds, Litigation Restructuring and Banking & Finance. Zoe has worked on the bank and high yield bond financing for a leading insurance business. When explaining the acquisition, Zoe said; “The group is owned by a high-profile private equity firm which is selling to one of its other funds and another co-investor. To complete the acquisition, the acquiring fund had to raise debt to finance the acquisition. This debt was provided by way of a combination of loans and notes by a variety of banks, which we represented.” 

Big responsibility from day one

The financing was comprised of hundreds of millions of dollars and with such intense deadlines, it was all hands on deck. Throughout the deal Zoe’s responsibilities changed, but this was a fantastic opportunity to learn as much as possible; “At the start I was doing a lot of process management. They are the steps that need to be agreed before the deal can move forward, so it was really important that I stayed on top of all organisational elements, otherwise this could delay the progress.” 

Towards the end of the acquisition some of Zoe’s team went on holiday, but this was a chance for her to take on more associate-level tasks, and exercise her cultivated knowledge; “It was nice to see a complex deal from start to finish, knowing you were contributing towards it. I got a lot of exposure to the team, from associates through to partners.”

Feeling part of the team

Since the start of her training contract, Zoe has been blown away by the warm and friendly culture of the firm, and believes that it has played a pivotal role in her development; “The small intake means that everyone knows you from the start. When people know who you are they can actually see how hard you are trying because you do not get lost in a sea of other trainees.”
 

Ashwin is making his mark on high-profile deals.

During his time studying Law at UCL, Ashwin took part in Weil’s vacation scheme and it was the welcoming culture of the firm that stood out to him the most; “On the first day everyone in the team already knew who I was and addressed me by name. I was treated as an individual, not just one of many.” At the end of his time on the scheme, Ashwin was offered a training contract.

Straight into the action

Since then, he has assisted with one of the largest deals in the leveraged finance market as part of the team advising a private equity fund on its multibillion-dollar bid for a majority stake in a global media business. Ashwin found the deal intellectually stimulating and was heavily involved in the ancillary and security document process; “There were multiple jurisdictions involved in the deal and I was given responsibility to liaise with local counsel in each jurisdiction, making sure that the documents in each jurisdiction were aligned with the requirements under the main finance documents.”

Supported to succeed

It is the firm’s encouragement to take on responsibility that has pushed Ashwin to exercise and develop his skills; “The team treated me like an associate. It gave me confidence because I knew they trusted me to do the job. I felt reassured that I had the support of the associates in my team, they always stayed involved to jump in if necessary.”

For Bessie, it is all about culture.

Originally from Canada, Bessie began her journey into Law studying business, but then decided to propel her studies by moving to the UK, where she completed an LLB Accelerated Law degree at the University of Exeter. During this time she took part in our vacation scheme; “I found it really interesting because it helped me explore the different avenues of commercial law, so it was easier for me to suggest which seats I would like to complete when I was offered my training contract.”

Every contribution is valued

It was important for Bessie that wherever she started her career she felt comfortable; “When you go into law, you know the work is going to be hard, but very rewarding. Sometimes you do work late, and you want to be in an environment where you will enjoy spending time with the people you are working with.” When Bessie was offered a training contract, it was her experience of the firm’s culture that made her decision a clear choice; “I felt really relaxed and valued in my contributions. It was a really nice atmosphere and I could just see myself working there.” 

Recognition in the press

Bessie admits she has been pleasantly surprised along the way; “I was not expecting to be trusted as much as I was when I first started. From day one I was given client-facing tasks. I have worked on really big, high-profile matters that I have seen in the Financial Times and other news. It is a great feeling.”

Max is getting great exposure.

From early on in his academic career, Max knew that Weil was the firm for him. Throughout his time studying Law at the University of Oxford, Max completed the fast track scheme and later, the vacation scheme; “The work was so interesting, and the atmosphere was different to any other firm I had been to.”

The trust to try new things

Since completing the LPC, Max has undertaken a seat in the Private Funds team, “I have been working face-to-face with clients and dealing with investors directly, negotiating agreements with them.” He believes that being in the spotlight has encouraged him to develop faster, as he has had to step up to the plate when help is needed and timelines are tight; “When you first start it is slightly daunting because the learning curve is massively steep, but you do not know what you are capable of until you try. That is what makes it amazing, because within two weeks you are operating at such a high level. I have been given associate-level tasks, it’s a great feeling when you are trusted.”

A network he can rely on

Even undertaking tasks with vast responsibility, Max feels comfortable knowing that the mentoring and support of the firm is there for him should he need it. Max also values the informal networks across the firm and its departments; “Supervisors are always there to help you on an ad-hoc basis. You can pop your head around anyone’s door, pick up the phone or arrange a Zoom call, even if they’re a partner, and ask for a chat.”

Milosz is making a real difference with pro bono.

Since starting his training contract at Weil, Milosz has been making waves with his pro bono efforts; “During my masters I volunteered in Greece to work in the field as an Asylum Lawyer. One of the people I worked with later set up her own charitable organisation, so I put her in touch with Weil. The firm has now funded the building of their office in Lesbos, and we are exploring how else we can work together; it is an amazing outcome.”

Responsibility from the start

Milosz is also working on a high-profile pro bono matter. The Dispute Resolution team are defending an investigative journalist against High Court defamation proceedings commenced by a central Asian Businessman, in connection with a series of articles on corruption and money laundering. Milosz said, “This is a huge case where we have the opportunity to fight for journalistic freedoms globally and make a real difference.”

Learning and advancing

He has played a big part in the case, taking ownership over many key tasks; “Day-to-day, I am instructing our barrister team, going to client meetings and driving the case forward – I have real responsibility. It is a great learning experience and a really valuable cause to be working on.” Milosz is excited to attend the trial and see the case to its conclusion.