As the saying goes - time flies...

After two years of being a trainee, I’ve finally qualified as a solicitor! It's the perfect time to reflect on my training contract here at B P Collins and give an insight into my experiences.

When I started in September 2013, I was repeatedly told that two years would “fly by”. I didn’t think it would, as two years sounds like a long time. But like anything, whether it’s three years at university or a Man v Food-style eating challenge, we have a tendency to split big tasks into manageable chunks. And with a training contract, moving to new practice groups every few months can feel like you’re starting a new job each time.

Each practice group has new work, new colleagues, new clients and different ways of doing things. Some are open plan, others individual offices. Far from daunting, I found this really refreshing.

“When you think of a training contract as five seats, rather than two years, it really does fly by.”

I can never say I got bored or even too comfortable, and I was always kept on my toes (Michael Jackson would have been proud).

Let's start at the beginning as a fresh-faced trainee in my first seat - property. I very much enjoyed property; I actually think it should be a compulsory seat for trainee solicitors, whichever firm you're in. It's amazingly pervasive as property-related issues crop up in nearly every area of law.

My time in property was also the most eye-opening. I was thrown into the deep end as the practice group was very busy at the time, and I also had the benefit of returning for a second seat later in my contract.

Upon joining, I quickly grasped the nature of residential and commercial sales and purchases, working on commercial leases on behalf of both the tenant and landlord and all manner of Land Registry applications.

“In my view, property is the best example of working independently.”

Of course, assistance was always available whenever needed, but I enjoyed using my initiative to progress a transaction. There are excellent opportunities for client contact and you would often be a client's first port of call.   

Corporate and commercial (CoCom) was my second seat. I always enjoyed corporate work, having opted for the private acquisitions elective on the LPC and, back in May 2014, I wrote a blog about my seat in CoCom. I met fascinating business people and assisted in a wide range of transactions, including acting for a 3D modelling and printing company in its share sale, advising yacht and rowing clubs in their tax/charity statuses, and amending manufacturing and licensing agreements concerning a global film franchise.

If ever you want a great insight into the formation of companies, their regulatory requirements and how businesses run, then CoCom is an excellent seat to do so. I also saw the collaboration between solicitors in several practice groups working on a single corporate transaction.

I then went back to property for my third seat before completing my training contract with two seats in litigation and dispute resolution. My time here was split between property litigation and general civil litigation. By this time, I was seen as an 'experienced' trainee ("where's my walking stick?!") and therefore had a brilliant level of responsibility, often handling smaller pieces of litigation on my own or being given sole responsibility of a substantial task within larger, more complex proceedings.

In property litigation, I assisted the supervising fee earner in a claim at the First-Tier Tribunal of the Property Chamber involving leaseholders of 36 residential properties and our client as landlord/freeholder (which ties back into the importance of a seat in property!). In general litigation I had a hugely varied workload with, for example, contested probate claims, contractual disputes and unfair prejudice petitions.

It was general litigation where I decided to qualify and (luckily!) the practice group was able to keep me and fellow trainee Rebecca Mitchell as newly-qualified solicitors. Litigation seems to suit me.

“I enjoy assisting clients in resolving disputes they or their businesses may have, to try and think outside the box with the best solution you can find and the excitement of litigation's twists and turns.”

Your training contract, wherever it is, is likely to be career-defining. I learnt not to see it as a long journey to qualification, but to consider each seat as a new stage, or even a new job. Enjoy it while it lasts – it'll fly by.

Posted by Rajiv Malhotra, newly qualified associate in the litigation and dispute resolution practice group.

Having graduated with LLB (Hons) from the University of Birmingham before completing the LPC at BPP Law School, Rajiv completed his training contract with B P Collins. Upon qualification, he joined the litigation and dispute resolution team as an associate in September 2015.

Getting qualified – from TC to NQ

Being a trainee was great! You're the new kid, just starting out. You're allowed to find your feet, have a little extra time and are given a bit of slack.  You might even be afforded the benefit of the doubt, occasionally.   

On the whole, we are expected to work hard, be diligent, manage our work load and try not to insult clients, colleagues or Judges.  You should try and show a bit of initiative here and there - and even "commercial awareness" (knowing that things cost money and that client's also have things to do, other than speaking to their lawyers). 

B P Collins' trainees get nights out too - we actually have a trainee budget that can be splurged on beer, burgers and the like.  It's all good team bonding stuff.  

Alright, it's not that easy.  It's hard work and there's a steep learning curve. You can't just put your feet up and expect everything to be great. 

Trainees are expected to know the law and how to apply it.  At B P Collins I've had the benefit of great client contact from the outset and been given responsibility for important matters.  Clients rely on you to know what's going on – you're often their first port of call.  Even if your answer is "I should ask my supervisor about that one", it definitely keeps you on your toes and you feel like you actually matter.  Those burgers and beers are well-earned.

Towards the end of your two years you might even start feeling comfortable. You might even be "ready" for qualification.

But then you qualify.

The invites to those trainee events dry up, the social budget goes and you're actually expected to make your own friends.

It's time to demonstrate that you know exactly what costs how much, why, and whether that satisfies your detailed "cost-benefit analysis" that you've carried out and put onto the file (with an appropriately coloured tab flagging it, of course). 

Alright, it's not that bad.  The way our training seat rotations work (four seats of five months, and then a final four month seat in your qualifying practice group) means that I've had the benefit of spending a good amount of time in the litigation practice before I qualify there.  It has allowed me to settle in, build my case load, get to know the ongoing cases and work with my new supervising partner.  I've even learnt a few things and managed to broaden my experience.

The firm has also got an active social life; last week we gave a local professionals group a "jolly good thrashing" at cricket, and the football fixtures start in September. Then there's the firm drinks, the annual Easter egg hunt, and the B P Collins quiz for those who are less sportily-inclined.

Most importantly, I'm a Solicitor of England and Wales now; an officer of the Senior Courts (thank you very much).  But best of all, now I get to boss those pesky trainees around (milk, one sugar – thanks).

Posted by Simon Hall, trainee in the Litigation and Dispute resolution practice group.



Simon started his training contract in January 2012 and his experience includes working on shareholder and director disputes, contractual disputes, personal insolvency and consumer claims.