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Editorial - Lovells
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Shrina Shah
Degree: Politics, Philosophy and Economics
Joined Lovells: March 2007
Office location: London
I chose to work for Lovells because it seemed
to have exactly the right balance between top
quality, cutting edge work and a down-toearth
atmosphere. I also liked the fact that
alongside the big name deals and
international perspective, unlike other City
Law firms there was a real opportunity to get
involved in well established niche practice
areas and interesting pro-bono work.
Another selling point for me was Lovells'
influence in China. I have spent a lot of time
teaching in and travelling through China as
well as studying its politics and economics
through school and university. I would love to
do an international secondment in Hong
Kong or at least visit the Beijing or Shanghai
offices to see how they operate and get a feel
for the work involved in a market with such
huge potential.
I have found that Lovells sets itself apart from
its competitors by providing a comfortable
working culture with an effective support
structure. I genuinely like and respect my
colleagues which makes a huge difference.
When you are doing something tricky or have
to work a long night, group morale is
important and so far, I have always felt
appreciated. Just last week, I wrongly
interpreted a partner's instructions which
resulted in a few red-faced calls to clients.
I was terrified that he would think I was
incompetent and never give me any work
again but to my surprise he put me at ease and
even apologised to me for not being clearer.
It goes to show that even the partners are
friendly and approachable here which makes
learning and working that much easier and
dare I say – fun.
I am currently in my first seat which is in the
mainstream corporate department. It is a
demanding department but I have found that
I enjoy the responsibility. Knowing that you
play an integral role in making a deal come
together is very satisfying and although the
learning curve is steep, the hands-on
experience is second to none. There is also a
lot of international work on offer and I have
already been given the opportunity to work
on a deal involving many jurisdictions.
My tip for those applying to law firms is that
there is no "type." Don't assume that law
firms are looking for a particular character or
that there is a checklist of achievements that
you have to have under your belt. When
making applications, I wish I had known
what a difference it makes to really find out
what the law firm is like. All the firms seem
to look the same on paper and the only way to
effectively distinguish between them is to
find out what goes on behind the PR blurb.
A good way to try to judge whether you will
like a firm is to try to gain experience there
through vac schemes/open days or to talk to
as many people who work there as you can.
I have been pleasantly surprised by what
I have found at Lovells. The work, although
challenging, is intellectually stimulating. In
addition, the experience and exposure you
will get whilst working here will be both
exciting and useful in your career
development. Yes, there will be dark times
but as clichéd as it may sound, the
atmosphere created by everyone here (from
partners to your fellow trainees) makes it all
the more bearable.
Shrina Shah |
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