I graduated from Nottingham University in 2008 with a law and American law degree and then completed my LPC at the College of Law, London Moorgate site. I had a year before my training contract commenced, so I decided to get some work experience and worked for the Ministry of Justice. It wasn’t all work and no play however, as I managed to fit in a trip to South America in the hope of some adventure before my training contract commenced in September 2010.

The first contact I had with the firm was at a presentation they hosted whilst I was at university. The firm had recently merged and I was interested to find out what could be expected from the merger. I was assured that joining with a large US firm, would not mean the London office losing its friendly culture. I was told that a host of international work would be on offer and that the small intake of 8 trainees would mean that I would have a more individually tailored training contract. I decided to apply for a place on the vacation scheme to see what working, as a trainee, would be like.

During the two weeks of my vacation scheme I sat with both an associate and a trainee which gave me a really good insight into the type of work that people at different levels do. The first thing I noticed from my vacation scheme was how welcoming all the staff were. I was encouraged to meet as many people as possible which made it easier when it came to asking questions about the work and the firm. The various social events that were organised for us also helped with getting to know everybody!

I was very pleased with what I had seen of the firm on my vacation scheme. I proceeded with an assessment day for a training contract and I was delighted when told that I had been successful. I saw the selection process as a two way thing, the firm has to be a good fit for you as much as you are a good fit for the firm and this was underlined by the assessors on the day. My passion for working at Edwards Wildman and the firm's commitment to their trainees was confirmed when I was invited to the firm’s various social events in the two years preceding the commencement of my training contract, a rarity among law firms.

I am currently sitting in Insurance Litigation and I'm happy to report that working for Edwards Wildman has been everything that I expected it to be. There is definitely an international element to a lot of the work that we do. For instance, I am currently involved in a major London arbitration which involves parties from all over the world. It is also clear that the London office has maintained its collegiate atmosphere; the merger has only served to strengthen and broaden the quality of work. Due to the small trainee intake, I have never felt like I play an insignificant role, the work that I do is valued by the team and I really feel that I am able to make a contribution.

I would absolutely recommend a training contract with Edwards Wildman. The quality of work and camaraderie among the staff is second to none.