Sascha Grimm - New York Secondment
I could not believe it when I found out that I was going to spend 3 months working in the Firm's New York office. I had visions of myself floating down 5th Avenue dressed a la Sex and the City with multiple shopping bags, possibly a small designer dog or two, just being fabulous. Thankfully, the reality was much better than this – and not a Chihuahua in sight.
My new workplace was to be the Intellectual Property department on the 12th floor of the New York office, an impressive building located right opposite Bloomingdales. Arriving at my desk, I could barely contain my excitement as I looked at the view of skyscrapers from the floor to ceiling window.
There was a pretty impressive snowstorm on my first day, meaning the office was slightly depleted. Nonetheless, I was taken for a lovely lunch by the associates on my floor, who made me feel welcome from the start. When my enormous burger arrived, I daintily remarked on how big the portions in America were in comparison to England, and how I couldn't possibly eat it all….and then cleared my plate in record time, way before anyone else. Thus began my deep love of New York food!
The IP department in New York is part of the firm's International Trade Mark and Copyright Protection Group. I assisted on numerous matters covering trade mark and brand protection, trade dress, and copyright – in very varied areas. One afternoon I was sent to the pharmacy to find and purchase shampoo bottles with specific types of branding. Another project required me to obtain permissions to use film stills and celebrity images on behalf of a major drinks company. For this project I had to delve into English Law as the team needed to know what equivalent there was to 'rights of publicity' in England. It was good to see how my knowledge of the English legal system could be put to good use on a matter originating in the US. The matter also required me to contact numerous (slightly eccentric) people in Hollywood, culminating in a surreal phone conversation with Errol Flynn's wife!
I was also lucky enough to be involved in a court case, which concerned a patent for a hair grip. We represented the inventors against a big 'infomercials' company. After assisting in disclosure, I attended the depositions, where witnesses are cross-examined prior to the hearing, as well as the court hearing itself. Our witnesses in this case included a number of women from the Masai tribe, who make the beading for our client's hair grip. The hearing was much more jazzy and theatrical than English litigation. Rather than judge in wig and gown peering down under heavy eyebrows, we had a lively female judge who greeted us with "morning y'all" and told Counsel they could "twitch and bitch" if they liked…not quite what you would hear down at the RCJ! I sat in on the negotiations in the Robing Room, where the judge took great interest in who I was, and particularly whether I was familiar with Bristol – it was slightly intimidating!
Although immensely enjoyable, the work was not without its challenges. I had some difficulty getting my head round the different circuit and district courts, and which circuit's judgments were more relevant in a certain matter than others. As well as a whole different legal system, the resources are not the same, meaning it took a while to learn how to carry out US legal research. It has made me very grateful that we only have one legal system in England and a comparatively simple court structure! However, there is no doubt that, in terms of my development as a lawyer, I benefited enormously from the training I received there, and from learning about different working methods and legal approaches.
Everyone in the office is extremely friendly and welcoming. I was immediately included in the group, and taken along to many delicious lunches, as well as the regular afternoon trips to the café at the top of Bloomingdales for a 'Fro-Yo' (frozen yoghurt for the unitiated). One partner took me to a St Patrick's Day Parade lunch, which was great fun, and from which I have a photo of said partner wearing a green and white jester hat with bells on. (I am keeping this photo for bribery purposes, in case my legal career does not work out.) There was some curiosity about who I was and what a 'trainee solicitor' is – in America, lawyers go straight from law school to being an associate. There were, of course, numerous conversations about the differences between the UK and the US – mostly linguistic. My office roommate bore the brunt of weird English expressions, being particularly baffled when I talked about weight in stones. However, despite the pressure, I am pleased to report that I never used a zed (not ZEE) instead of an 's'.
Outside work, I loved getting to know the city. Living on your own means that you have to go out and do things and find friends. It's surprisingly easy to do – especially with an English accent in a city as friendly as New York! I ended up meeting lots of people outside work who, as native New Yorkers, were the best tour guides there could be. I found myself adapting to my New York life very quickly – one month in, I was confidently arguing with taxi drivers, religiously having brunch every weekend, and (mostly) able to get somewhere without stopping to get a map out. I even went to a baseball game and, horror of horrors, said "pants" when talking about trousers.
Going on secondment to another country is an amazing experience, and there are far too many highlights to include in a short article. Not only is it fantastic working in a different environment and learning about a different legal system, but you also end up really throwing yourself into a new life. Having now qualified into the IP department, I have been working with my old colleagues in the NY office again, which is great. I absolutely loved New York – both the City, and the people I met there and am planning my next visit!