Vanessa Whitman, a recently qualified associate, talks about her involvement with Ferrari and her time as a trainee.
What was the case all about?
This was one of Formula One’s biggest scandals: an allegation of design theft brought against the chief designer of Ferrari’s rival, McLaren. I didn’t expect that as a trainee, I’d soon be playing a part in the legal team building up Ferrari’s case. But that’s exactly what happened – and it was great to be involved in it, putting civil law into action.
In what way were you involved?
I was halfway through my third seat, so I’d been with the firm for over a year. The case fell to the partner in my team. Soon I was drafted in to take notes at meetings and hearings, keep a press file and proof read documents. Suddenly, I had a great seat at the heart of the case. Things moved fast. We had to prove the designs had been taken, that this was damaging, and that they were urgently needed back. But proving they’d been taken meant we had to apply for a search order by presenting all the facts to the court.
How did it feel to be part of it?
It was my first experience of working on anything that high profile, and it felt fantastic. Obviously, very early on you can’t say very much to anyone about anything. But once things can come out into the open, everyone here knew who was lucky enough to be working on it. Once we got the search order through, it was great. We knew we were onto something big.
How did you join the firm?
Law was something I always wanted to do. I liked the idea of applying abstract concepts to practical problems. But I didn’t want to study it academically. So I read Sociology at Warwick University, and started applying for training contracts in the final year of my degree. By the time I started my conversion course I already had my offer here.
What’s different about CMS Cameron McKenna?
I have friends at other firms. They don’t seem to have the same working culture we do – here you feel that everyone’s on the same level. You don’t have an “us and them” feeling between people at different levels or different stages of their career. I know every organisation has its hierarchy, but it doesn’t feel hierarchical here.
Does this affect the way you work?
Yes. If you can have that kind of relationship with your colleagues, you find it easier to have that kind of relationship with your clients. I like to think our clients feel we’re on the same level as them and we understand their business as they do. We’re not just looking from the outside in.
What advice would you give someone who wants a successful career in law?
I think the most important thing as a trainee is to get involved in as much as you possibly can. Find out about all areas of work, not just what you’re doing at that time. Keep your eyes open to what’s going on elsewhere. Get involved with clients, meet as many people as you can and make the most of pro bono work too.
What pro bono work have you been involved in?
I’ve been involved in many projects. It’s something that’s still very important to me. I helped secure the NSPCC as our charity of the year in 2007, putting together a successful proposal on their behalf. That meant the firm helped out with a year’s worth of fundraising events. As well as being a good thing to do, this work means you get to work with and meet people you otherwise wouldn’t. You get to talk to clients that you may well work with professionally in the future.