Claire Saffer, a recently qualified associate, talks about being a trainee while being involved in the £630m acquisition of 30 St Mary Axe – AKA The Gherkin.
How did you come to be involved?
I was working in the construction team, about a year and a half into my training. When the property giant IVG came to the firm for advice, a team was quickly pulled together. It was exactly the right time to be sitting with one of the team partners.
What part did you play?
Much of my work was due diligence – that’s reviewing documents and looking for any problems that might arise. This was all fed into a report that presents the facts accurately and clearly. In this field of work, attention to detail is always key. You can sit and read a document and there’s a danger you’re not necessarily taking it in. Here you’ve really got to focus and pay attention. It was pretty hard work, but knowing that what I did mattered was exciting. Especially when you see the deal on the front pages of the press and you think – “I was part of that”. Actually, I still have a newspaper cutting about the deal on my noticeboard.
So it was quite a lot of responsibility then?
It was important but, that said, there was always someone supervising me. And even now I’m qualified, there’s still that support. If I’m not sure about something I can always run it past somebody. I wasn’t left with a pile of contracts and told to get on with it. I would put my findings into the report and the partner or associate would review it. Or I’d make a note of something and feel free to ask if I wasn’t sure about what it meant.
How did you come to work for this firm?
I studied languages at university, then trained as an interpreter. Like many of my friends I actually realised that law suited my talents, but I wanted to get a bit of commercial experience first. Interpreting wasn’t for me, so I went on to use my language skills for an asset management company. Then I applied for a training contract with CMS Cameron McKenna. I had friends who had trained here. They absolutely loved the firm, and were quite keen for me to join.
What were they saying?
They really liked the culture and atmosphere, they never had anything bad to say about the firm as a trainee. I’ve since discovered for myself that it’s a very down to earth place. People from all organisations talk about open door policies – but there definitely is here. There isn’t anyone here I feel that I couldn’t approach, couldn’t speak to.
So people are supportive of one another?
I almost feel spoilt because the training we have here and the support we have from the more senior partners really is fantastic. I’m not just saying that, there really is always someone you can speak to. You know you’re not by yourself. Of course, you’re expected to think for yourself. But people make time to help.
What advice would you give someone considering a career in law?
Although the benefits and perks associated with law are exciting to think about, you need to look a little bit beyond that. You have to think about the kind of work you want to do, the kind of culture you’ll feel comfortable in. Think about how you work best. What might inspire you and which areas would you like to explore?