Nico Beedle
Sarah Harte
Anthony McCourt
Emi McCooey
James Pett
Mark Smith
Hanna Virta
Nico Beedle
(Oxford, Classics)
When I was considering which firms to apply to, it became clear
that most were looking for a certain type of person with specific
attributes. Ashurst, however, not only accepted that its applicants
would be from different backgrounds and have different
qualifications and experiences, but prided itself on this.
Ashurst's recruitment ethos has a direct impact on the workplace.
Not only are trainees given an unsurpassed formal training through
seminars, lectures and other activities, but the opportunity to
work alongside other fee-earners with different skill-sets, means
that your training is as varied and interesting as the range of
employees Ashurst recruits.
The firm's reputation and standing means that for trainees, the
projects they are involved in are of the very highest quality. I
have found that other fee-earners are keen to involve trainees in
projects to give them greater exposure to other departmental
specialisms.
I am at present sitting in international finance, and it is an
extremely interesting time in which to do so. The seismic shifts in
the global economy have had a huge impact on the legal industry,
and firms are now expected to be even more innovative in order to
manage the risks associated with large loans and add value to
transactions. The department, like all the others at Ashurst, is
perfectly placed to flourish in this environment, and trainees have
a major role to play.
I would strongly recommend Ashurst as not only the outstanding law
firm, but as a fantastic place to work.
- top -
Sarah Harte
(Bristol, Law)
Choosing between the multitude of impressive City law firms while
in the throes of student life was no easy task. However, after
narrowing my search to elite firms which embraced an ethos of
friendliness, I was lucky enough to be offered a placement scheme
at Ashurst.
After spending three weeks at the firm, I realised that the essence
of the Ashurst culture is approachability and a nurturing of
employees, which sets the firm apart from its peers. I felt
privileged to be offered a training contract largely on the basis
that I would "fit in" with this culture. One of the firm's most
admirable qualities for me is the time that is invested in getting
to know every individual at a personal level. My first day as a
trainee was a reunion of friendly faces that I had met previously
at lunches, drinks evenings and balls organised by the firm for
future trainees to get to know each other.
I am currently in my first seat in the real estate department.
Aside from managing my own smaller files, I have also been engaged
in more high-calibre work for major clients and am frequently given
the responsibility of liaising with clients directly.
Aside from work, I have also undertaken pro bono and social
activities, not to mention attending various memorable nights out
with my fellow trainees. I spend Tuesday lunchtimes reading with
children at the local primary school and in my spare time I have
also helped organise the socials for the placement scheme students.
- top -
Anthony McCourt
(University College London, French and German)
A lot can be said for choosing to apply to Ashurst - the firm has
an exceptionally strong client base that is matched by the calibre
of the people that work here. When I was considering which firms to
apply to, I'd already heard a lot about the "Ashurst culture" and
coupled with the fact that Ashurst was often mentioned in the same
breath as the magic circle firms, I decided to take an informal
tour. I met several trainees during my tour and got a real
behind-the-scenes glimpse of the working environment I could
expect. The people were welcoming and friendly, and I went away
with a totally changed view of what I had thought a law firm would
be about.
I am pleased to say that since joining, Ashurst has more than
confirmed my initial impressions. Within the first week of my first
seat in real estate, I helped to complete on the Westfield London
shopping centre, a deal worth £2bn! Currently in my second seat in
pensions, the responsibility I have been given and the variety of
work I have gained exposure to has certainly exceeded my
expectations; while the thought of my first client meeting or
preparing my first piece of work was daunting, I have always been
supported and encouraged.
But it's the people at Ashurst that really make the firm stand out.
Everyone knows how to let their hair down and the many social
events provide a great opportunity to build up your relationships,
not just with fellow trainees but at all levels, from the
secretaries to the partners. In terms of work-life balance, Ashurst
seems to have got it just right.
- top -
Emi McCooey
(Leeds, Law)
Reading the recruitment brochures of the top firms makes them all
sound amazing and, if I'm honest, hard to set apart. All offer high
quality work and I have no doubt that most can deliver on that. But
Ashurst stuck out a mile and impressed me from the moment I looked
around the offices at my interview. I was greeted with smiles and
genuinely listened to, which really struck a chord.
Ashurst has fulfilled its promise of offering high-calibre clients
and challenging, rewarding work and its reputation is known
throughout the City. I spent my first two seats in litigation and
international finance. The work was demanding but the firm prides
itself on its open door policy and questions are encouraged. I work
hard but I don't mind because when it's not required I am able to
go home - there's no such thing as "face time" here. But what makes
the people at Ashurst great is that everyone is "human" - we all
have a personality. We take the work seriously but not ourselves
and that genuinely was what I considered to be important when
looking at potential firms. I like everyone I work with; it's
partly the result of the selection process where they carefully
consider chemistry and personality. I socialise with my
supervisors, and my fellow trainees are as much friends as they are
colleagues.
Outside of work, I've signed up to weekly pro bono teaching at a
nearby school and I play netball for the firm. I also won best
male(!) costume at the Christmas party (I went as Oddjob from
Goldfinger!).
- top -
James Pett
(Warwick, Law)
I did the placement scheme at Ashurst and found the balance between
getting decent exposure to the work and the social side was really
well struck by the graduate recruitment team. I had the chance to
mix with staff at all levels, went on a day trip to the Brussels
office and importantly, I came away with a lasting feel for what it
would be like to train here. So I decided to apply for a training
contract the following year and the informal nature of my interview
with two partners confirmed that I had made the right choice.
My first seat was in international finance. Any hopes I had of
gently easing myself in during the credit crunch quickly vanished -
I was sent straight off by cab to the newly bankrupt Lehman
Brothers to serve termination notices under various agreements. By
the weekend I was helping out on a client sailing trip to Cannes.
Over the coming weeks there were quite a few late nights as the
group advised major financial institutions on their positions
throughout the crisis. Hard work and paying close attention to
clients in devising new ways to provide value for money meant the
team thrived during a tough period. I always felt involved,
challenged and valued, while learning on the job about new concepts
and products.
Outside of the office I have had the opportunity to tour clients
around St Paul's Cathedral during an Ashurst drinks reception and I
sit on the placement scheme committee, helping to organise events
and activities. There is also a huge variety of pro bono projects
to get involved in and sports teams to play for, so you're never
short of things to do!
- top -
Mark Smith
(Cambridge, Classics)
When it came to choosing which law firms to apply to, I had several
criteria in mind. I was looking for an international firm with a
strong presence in Europe and Asia, and a top quality corporate
reputation. Importantly, I was also looking for a firm where the
trainee intake was not overwhelmingly large, so that I could really
get to know my peers and enjoy a more "personal" work environment.
After working my way through various student legal publications and
attending a few careers fairs, Ashurst stood out as the firm which
satisfied my criteria perfectly.
The interview further confirmed that Ashurst was going to be my
preferred choice. The partners were clearly most interested to see
whether I would fit in with the Ashurst culture, and while my
commercial acumen was also tested, the tone of the interview was
friendly and informal.
My first seat was in loan markets, and despite the difficult market
conditions I spent the majority of my seat involved in a large
leveraged acquisition. This afforded me the opportunity to see a
deal through from beginning to end, and as my experience developed
I was given responsibility for various discrete parts of the
transaction. I am currently sitting in corporate where I am
enjoying getting exposure to work on a variety of different deals.
Throughout my training contract at Ashurst I have benefited from
working with supportive and approachable colleagues, and I am
looking forward to developing my career with seats in other
departments - maybe even a seat abroad.
- top -
Hanna Virta
(Oxford, Politics, Philosophy and Economics)
All the top City firms talk of their friendly, supportive working
environments but few truly are. In my experience, Ashurst stands up
to the pitch. This has come across right from the interview process
onwards. The interview was professional but laid back and focused
on getting to know me as a person. Once you become a future
trainee, the graduate recruitment team make a concerted effort to
make you feel an integral part of the firm.
I currently sit in real estate where I inherited my own files from
day one and have been dealing with clients on a daily basis. The
work is varied and I have been engaged in research, drafting
documents and helping with the real estate aspects of corporate
transactions. On-the-job learning is complemented by in-house
training and departmental inductions; the firm clearly invests
heavily in its workforce. There is no sense of hierarchy either and
the "open door" policy is a reality.
As an international student, what particularly attracted me to
Ashurst was its international presence and client portfolio. The
people here come from a diversity of backgrounds which are mirrored
in the firm's distinctive range of clients. There are plenty of
opportunities to get involved with high-profile cross-border
transactions, and secondment overseas or to a prestigious client is
also encouraged.
On the pro bono side, I am a member of the firm's pool of mentors
who work with students in inner-city schools. I have also
represented Ashurst in the Law Society's 10 km walk in aid of The
London Legal Support Trust.