Chika qualified into the Intellectual Property practice in September 2011.
I read English Law and French Law at the University of Kent at Canterbury and graduated in 2003. My LLB at Kent included a year as a Socrates-Erasmus student at the University of Bordeaux in France. I so enjoyed my experience in France that I decided to return to do a masters there. In 2004 I obtained a maîtrise in European and International Law and in 2005 I obtained a Master in Civil Law with a major in International and European Business. On my return to England in 2006 I was employed in the Unilever UK Legal Department as Assistant Legal Counsel working on intellectual property and advertising law matters. I studied the LPC part-time at BPP Holborn, finishing in 2008.
My first encounter with Edwards Wildman, was at the assessment day for training contract candidates. I applied to the firm because it specialises in areas of law which were of particular interest to me including Oil and Gas, Public International Law, Defamation and Asset Tracing. Also the firm had consistently been voted as one of the best training contract providers. The firm takes only 8 trainees per year and despite its relatively small size in London, still secures major blue chip and international business clients. This means trainees really do get a piece of the action.
The impression of the firm that I got from the assessment day was it is made up of friendly and down-to-earth people who are incredibly good at what they do. It was clear that they were not looking for just academically brilliant people but also people who are adaptable and could also think creatively. The assessment day certainly puts you through your paces, so be prepared. My heart was pounding for hours afterwards. I was absolutely delighted when I received a call from the Trainee Recruitment Manager offering me a training contract.
Not long after I accepted the contract in 2007, the Firm merged. I became even more excited about working for the firm as there were now opportunities for secondments to the offices in the US and Hong Kong as well as the possibility of gaining experience in other new practice areas, notably intellectual property and private equity.
I began my training contract in September 2009 and my first seat was in Commercial Litigation. I started to get to grips with some of the cases that the firm were dealing with including employment litigation, defamation, and asset tracing. The seat promised varied and challenging work and that was what I got. I was also involved in research on a pro bono matter for Fair Trials International, a charity which assists persons accused of crimes in countries other than their home. It was good to be able to have the opportunity to do pro bono work of this nature.
Much is made of the friendliness of the staff at the Firm, mainly because it's true. People are welcoming and willing to stop what they are doing to help you when you look like you are running around like a headless chicken, which, as I got to grips with the processes of the firm, happened quite a lot!
Another thing I often heard was that the people at the firm had a good work-life balance. Again from what I have saw this is true. It is not the type of firm where you have to stay at work just to be seen to be staying. Some late nights were required, when there were deadlines to meet but on the whole if you got the job done you could be out of the door at a reasonable time.
The people here are also very sociable. In between accepting the training contract and starting, I attended a few of the firm's social events where I was able to meet other trainees in my intake and other members of the Firm. The next big social event in the calendar is the quiz night and the first year trainees are responsible for choosing the questions. The quiz night is always a very lively event enjoyed by all and especially memorable for the first year trainees.
Overall, the firm is a great place to work. You can really get stuck in and there's some great challenges along the way.