Name: Kristian Bradshaw, Trainee Solicitor
University attended: Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge
Degree obtained: BA (Hons) Modern Languages

Kristian joined Herbert Smith in September 2004 and is currently spending his fourth seat on secondment to the Banking division of its Paris office, having completed seats in the Litigation and Arbitration, Corporate and Real Estate divisions.

As I looked out from my office over Liverpool Street station one day and watched the trains arriving from across the country, it struck me that the railway network offers a fitting metaphor for the process of becoming a solicitor. There are many destinations within the legal profession and many routes you can take to reach those destinations. Solicitors come from all walks of life and backgrounds and you can reach your chosen destination no matter where you began your ’journey’.

My ’destination’

The City, with its bright lights and work-hard -play-hard attitude, had long attracted me. The idea of a job as a solicitor in the City appealed to me in particular because it seemed to provide the ideal mix of being at the heart of the financial and business worlds and doing an intellectually demanding job which required critical reasoning and persuasive ability.

My ’route’

My route into the profession was to study French and German, before doing the conversion course and LPC. The ’non-law’ path to the profession is increasingly common; roughly half of my intake at Herbert Smith read for a non-law degree at university.

Why Herbert Smith?

Herbert Smith’s excellent reputation was an obvious attraction, as I knew I would receive high-quality training and supervision and get to work on high-profile international deals. However, what differentiated Herbert Smith from other top City firms was, for me, its diverse and sociable mix of people. This is something that the firm is renowned for. On the day of my interview I sensed something special about the atmosphere - it seemed like a genuinely pleasant place to work. Eighteen months into my training contract, I can safely say that my first impressions have lasted.

Life as a trainee

I do not want to portray an airbrushed view of life as a trainee at Herbert Smith. How late you work of an evening and what sort of work you do are very much determined by the specific department you are sitting in at any particular time. What I can say is, however simple some trainee tasks can seem and however long the hours, you always have the chance to create a good impression and to take something worthwhile from your experiences.

A seat in Herbert Smith’s renowned Litigation division might involve tasks such as drafting pleadings or going to the High Court to file an application or attend a hearing. It might equally involve preparing bundles of evidence for a trial. As a trainee in the Corporate division, you will have the chance to project-manage large-scale transactions such as business acquisitions and listings on the London Stock Exchange. A trainee’s work in the Real Estate division can range from hands-on portfolio management to large-scale development and property finance transactions.

In addition to legal training, Herbert Smith offers numerous opportunities for personal development. So far I have attended skills sessions on note-taking, giving effective presentations and time management, to name but a few. When in London I also play football once a week for the firm’s team and teach French to a group of local GCSE students once a fortnight. The firm also organises social activities and arranges free entry to exhibitions and other events it is sponsoring.

Looking forward

Excitingly, this is only really the beginning of my journey as a solicitor. The next stop is qualification, and having experienced three excellent seats so far, I am confident of being able to qualify into a department at Herbert Smith where I will be happy and successful.