Melissa develops her commercial awareness on her training contract

We focus on seven core sectors to better enable us to deliver tailored, industry-specific advice to our clients. So that our trainees can develop their business development skills, they are aligned to a sector team during their first year. Whether it’s researching market trends, supporting business development, or attending industry events, this hands-on experience builds commercial awareness while honing critical skills that are key to a successful legal career.

Melissa shares her experience of this role and how it's helped her become a more well-rounded lawyer.

Working with a fast-paced sector

One of the most exciting aspects of my training contract journey has been working with our Retail & Consumer sector team as a sector trainee. The sector incorporates a variety of teams across different practice areas, and I was eager to experience the collaboration involved in delivering practical, client-focused solutions. It's a sector that's heavily affected by current affairs which enabled me to experience a dynamic, fast-paced environment that required an understanding of geopolitical issues, market trends, and consumer behaviours. The constant updates in regulations make it an especially engaging sector, where staying ahead of shifts in the market is not just necessary for delivering expert client advice - it’s essential.

Through working with the sector team, I’ve come to better understand our sector-approach and growth strategy – this has given me a greater appreciation of how the firm identifies emerging opportunities and anticipates legal challenges. The focus is always on aligning our services with client needs by collaborating across different teams within the firm. This ensures that we are not just offering isolated legal advice but delivering joined-up solutions that respond to the unique challenges faced by industries and clients. It’s been great to work with a sector team that is driving business growth and being able to play a part in this.

Delivering a client solution

One of the most rewarding experiences was being involved in the redesign of the Retail & Consumer sector horizon scanner. A horizon scanner monitors developments in the sector, for example changes in regulations, so that clients can prepare for what’s coming, make informed decisions, and stay ahead of the curve. Our tools format was no longer serving its purpose and we saw an opportunity to transform it into a more dynamic resource for our clients.

The sector trainee's role was to coordinate the whole project – this required me to liaise with multiple colleagues, set check-ins and deadlines, and work closely with the marketing team to design the web page. It was a truly collaborative effort that required input from eight different teams. The result was a digestible, comprehensive resource that has since been adopted across all sectors within the firm! Seeing our design idea go live and be adopted by others was so exciting and I felt really proud of my part in the project.

A unique opportunity for growth

Exposure to a wide range of regulatory and legal areas has deepened my understanding of the nuanced challenges faced by clients in the Retail & Consumer sector. My sector trainee role has been both enriching and eye-opening, offering insight into how the firm drives sector-based growth and fosters collaboration to deliver tailored solutions.

The work has been dynamic, challenging, and rewarding, enhancing my professional skills while sparking a lasting curiosity about the intersection of law, business, and geopolitics. It’s a unique opportunity that has broadened my perspective on the legal industry and the impactful role law firms play across sectors.