Rhys qualified into the Insurance and Reinsurance Department as a litigator in September 2010.

I read Politics at Durham University with the intention of completing the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) after graduation. I commenced the GDL at BPP Law School before taking a year out and working on the crude oil trading desk of a multi-national integrated energy company. I then returned to BPP to complete the Legal Practice Course (LPC) before commencing my training contract in September 2008.

Applying for training contracts is one of the most arduous and daunting tasks that a prospective solicitor has to overcome. With such an array of law firms, all promising to deliver a high standard of training with a hands-on approach, combined with a work/life balance, it was difficult to know where to begin. I knew that I did not want to train at a firm which took on a large number of trainees due to the dilution in the quality of the work that the trainees tended to be involved in. However I did want to train at a firm involved in high value, cross-border disputes and transactions.

The firm seemed to be the obvious choice. Taking on a small number of trainees meant that trainees were given the opportunity to be involved in cases from the start. There was also had an impressive client list, indicating that the work undertaken would be interesting, and often with an international dimension. I was also particularly impressed with the emphasis that the firm placed on its secondments to large, high-profile clients such as Shell.

I can honestly say that the assessment process at the firm was thoroughly enjoyable and seemed designed to allow applicants to express their opinions and to show the assessors their best qualities. The group task was particularly interesting requiring strong team-work with the added requirement of justifying the team's decision to the assessor who certainly didn’t give us an easy ride. While friendly, the interview panel certainly pushed me to express my opinions regarding a wide range of topics and also challenged a number of my assertions to add a little pressure to the process.

The firm were also keen to involve all the future trainees in the events that the firm hosted prior to commencing my training contract. This allowed me to meet a number of partners, associates and trainees and a number of support staff who are invaluable to know during the first weeks of your training contract. This made it a lot easier to understand the culture of the firm combined with getting to know people in a less formal environment. Helen Clark and Sarah Warnes are also very approachable and were happy to field my numerous questions before starting at the firm.

My first seat was in the Commercial Litigation Practice Group where I was involved in a number of cases with a strong international element. I assisted in an asset recovery case in which a foreign government was attempting to re-acquire funds that were misappropriated through the corruption of a previous regime. I helped prepare a petition for special leave to appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (the final appeal court for Commonwealth states) and I drafted the instructions to Leading Counsel to advise on the grounds and merit of the appeal. I have also assisted in a number of contractual disputes and was involved in a preliminary issue hearing and strike-out application in relation to both cases.

My second seat was in the Regulatory & Transactional Practice Group of the Insurance & Reinsurance Department. During my seat I assisted on a number of transactions including the disposal by our client of a group of UK companies involved in the run-off sector. During the transaction I was involved in a wide variety of corporate and regulatory work and I drafted a number of the transaction documents.

For my 3rd seat, I went on secondment to the Enforcement and Financial Crime Division of the Financial Services Authority (the FSA). I was particularly keen to undertake a secondment in order to gain an understanding of the client’s perspective. A secondment to the FSA provided me with a unique insight into the inner workings of the UK’s financial services regulator. My final seat was in Insurance Litigation and I qualified into this department in September 2010 after a very enjoyable seat, where I worked on huge range of matters. 

From a personal viewpoint, the mergers have resulted in further opportunities to trainees including foreign secondments and increased practice areas. The London office continues to add strength to its practice with the addition of many new partners, bringing new practice areas such as IP, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Competition and Banking. Having met a number of our American colleagues and the firm's Managing Partner, Walter Reed, it is clear that they too are ambitious and very bright lawyers who also enjoy the sociable side of the firm.