Hermina Wong is a Trainee Solicitor at Sidley, working in the Global Finance and Banking and Financial Services departments. She graduated from the University of Cambridge, having read Politics, Psychology and Sociology. We catch up with her as she goes through a day in the life and provides us with insights into the world of law.
8.15am: I read through my emails in the morning and take mental note of matters which may require my attention during the day. I get ready for work and read the FT on my commute.
9.30am: I get to my desk and discuss with the partners and associates matters which require our urgent attention. We often work with clients based in the US and Asia-Pacific, so often things may come in overnight due to time differences.
10.15am: We are advising a client on its reporting obligations under a piece of EU legislation. An associate asked me to research the regulation and other relevant published guidance on the regulator’s powers to impose sanctions and fines.
11.30am: My supervisor asks me to conduct an urgent piece of research on the rules surrounding regulatory capital for a client. In the regulatory group, clients often have questions which require our immediate attention. As a trainee, I contribute to the advice to our clients by researching the law and drafting a summary, which can then be sent across to the client immediately. I discuss my research with my supervisor, who then invites me to join a phone call in which he explains the implications of the rules to the client.
1pm: I grab lunch with other trainees on the firm’s roof terrace which is open all summer.
1.45pm: I research EU and UK legislation and the relevant published guidance on sanctions and fines. I then produce a summary of the research and present my findings to the associate.
3.30pm: It’s a nice day out so an associate invites me for a quick ice-cream break near the office.
4.00pm: I start working on a long-term project which aims to update our clients on the latest developments in the payment services industry. I review a number of relevant articles and publications by EU authorities which may help with the process of drafting the client alert.
7.00pm: I finish up the notes I made on the articles and publications. I log off and head home to watch Wimbledon with my friends.
To find out more about Sidley and view their opportunities, click here.