Top 50 Profiles - Mayer Brown
Student Case Study
University: University of Southampton Course: History Position: Easter Vacation Scheme
Daniel Cook
www.top50.gd/mayerbrown
Mayer Brown initially appealed to me for several reasons. I was drawn towards the excellent reputation of the firm, the opportunity to work with exciting clients and the global scope of the firm. The fact that Mayer Brown is a full-service firm was important to me, as I was unsure of which area of commercial law I could see myself working in. During the scheme I was given the opportunity to talk to solicitors in each of the various practice areas, allowing me to gain abetter insight into the sort of work an individual could expect in their respective group. The scheme was exceptionally insightful and enjoyable, and I found myself immersed in some very interesting work whilst in the office. My first week was spent in the Construction and Engineering group, and work included researching property trends in the Middle East and drafting letters. I found everyone in the group very helpful, and they were all more than happy to answer any questions I had relating to Construction or Mayer Brown in general. Mayer Brown was the first large global firm I had gained work experience at, and as such I was hoping to participate in some major international work. I was not disappointed. In my second week I sat in Banking & Finance, and I was involved in a deal that encompassed seventeen jurisdictions. My work included looking through the draft agreements, pointing out anything else that was required, and compiling folders containing various relevant documents. What impressed me the most were the organisational and communication skills exhibited by the solicitors that were clearly integral to the success of the deal. Aside from the work there were also various social activities we all took part in. The notable highlight was a day trip to Paris, which involved visiting the Mayer Brown Paris office and spending the afternoon taking in the
sights. Other social events included a charity football tournament and bowling with the trainees. This provided a fantastic opportunity to get to know the people at the firm, and also gave me a chance to speak to trainees about how they found working at Mayer Brown. The experience at Mayer Brown stood out for me over other work experience I have had largely because of the balance between work and social activities. This allowed me to learn about what working life would be like whilst also demonstrating that the employees at Mayer Brown are both interesting and enjoyable people to be around, something which I believe is critical in selecting the right working environment. I would recommend the placement to anyone who is seeking to learn more about working at a large international firm and who is attracted to first class work in supportive surroundings.
“The social events were excellent and the work was interesting. The people were very easy to get on with and there was an open door policy.” - Student from Durham University “Quote from Student Reviews at RateMyPlacement”
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