I grew up in rural Gloucestershire in the South West of the UK. I went to my local state school and was the first in my family to go to university. I read Law with European Law at the University of Oxford and spent a year studying abroad at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. After securing my training contract at Goodwin, I completed my LPC at the University of Law.
What inspired you to apply for this role with Goodwin?
When I was applying for training contracts, there were three things that set Goodwin apart from its competitors. Firstly, Goodwin’s London office was (and still is) growing fast. Since I’ve joined, new teams such as antitrust and equity capital markets have been set up and existing practices continue to go from strength to strength. It is exciting and rewarding to be part of a firm that is looking to the future, rather than simply maintaining the status quo. Secondly, I wanted to join a firm that had a strong reputation in sectors I was passionate about. Goodwin has been consistently recognised in the legal press for its excellence in its core practice areas of real estate, funds, technology, and private equity. Finally, Goodwin’s relatively small trainee intake compared to many City firms means that trainees get a high level of responsibility. I’ve always believed the best way to develop is to really commit and get involved and gaining this experience so early in my career has been invaluable.
What is your role at Goodwin?
I’ve just finished my training contract and I’m qualifying into the Private Investment Funds team.
What has been the single most important thing you learnt so far in your job?
A great solicitor is not just someone who is an expert in the technicalities of their field (although that is crucial!), but someone who clients can depend upon to act as their trusted advisor. Providing a high level of client care through strong communication and getting to know your client’s business and their working style is essential for building long lasting professional relationships.
What would a ‘normal’ day look like for someone in your role?
There really is no normal day in a law firm. The type of tasks you’ll be getting involved with and how time pressured they are depends on what client matter you are working on and even then varies between each day. As someone who is qualifying into the funds team and completed two seats in funds, typical junior tasks in that department include assisting with investor negotiations and closings i.e. when investors are admitted to the fund. Trainees often take point on reviewing the investor’s subscription agreement (the document where they apply to become an investor in the fund) and liaising with specialist teams such as regulatory and tax, as well as foreign counsel to ensure that the investor is eligible to be admitted. On closing days, trainees play a key role in project management by coordinating signing of documents as well as arranging and sometimes leading board meetings. Associates and partners are also really keen to give trainees the opportunity to develop their drafting skills and will often let them do the first draft of side letters (agreements which give certain investors special rights in relation to the fund) and other ancillary documents. As you become more experienced, partners are happy for you to run smaller workstreams largely by yourself which is a great way to build your skills and confidence as well as developing client relations.
What do you find most interesting with the sector/industry you’re in?
The most interesting thing about funds is how diverse the type of work is. It is a combination of transactional and advisory work. The role of a funds lawyer is to help a firm structure and set up their funds and assist them in their negotiations with investors. Due to the cross-border nature of funds, this involves learning about and understanding regulations and tax laws in the UK, EU, USA, and across the world. There is always an element of learning new things and applying what you already knew to new fact patterns. Moreover, Goodwin’s clients span a wide range of industries from venture capital to infrastructure funds. Each asset class presents its own challenges which need to be thought through when advising your client.
What is the firm culture like?
Goodwin puts a very strong emphasis on hiring people who will uphold the collaborative and friendly culture at the firm. From partners to associates, people are very approachable and happy to help you. Compared to some other firms in the City, Goodwin does not have a rigid hierarchy and has a genuinely open door policy where you can reach out to anyone for support.
How important is diversity to you and what is Goodwin doing in this space at the moment?
As a gay man coming from a state-school working class background, choosing a firm that valued and appreciated diversity was very important to me. Goodwin stood out in this regard. The firm puts diversity, equity, and inclusion front and centre in how it operates and understands that people are only able to perform at the best of their abilities professionally if they are able to be their authentic self. During my time at Goodwin, I’ve attended Pride retreats at both the NYC and Washington DC offices which was a great way for me to network with colleagues across the firm and seek out mentors to help me develop my professional career.
Finally, any tips for anyone who’d like to apply for a role at Goodwin?
I’d recommend really researching the type of work Goodwin does and what our clients do. In your application, set out why you’re interested in those sectors and why Goodwin in particular is the place you want to start your career.