My experience as a trainee
Patrick Newlands explains why he chose to apply for a Trainee Solicitor position at Bristows — and how he’s found the experience.
I studied Aerospace Engineering at university as I had (and still have) a huge interest in all things technical. As part of my degree, I had the opportunity to work in the engineering industry for a total of 18 months spread across two placements. Whilst I enjoyed my time working in engineering, it was during those placements when I realised it wasn’t for me.
After assessing different careers, it became clear that working in IP law was a perfect blend of learning about new technologies and being able to work in a dynamic environment with lots of different people and businesses. When I started researching law firms with the best IP practices, one name stood above the rest for both the quality of its work and its culture: Bristows.
The application process for Bristows involves initially filling out an application form. After this was reviewed, I was invited to a video interview. Following this, there are then two more face-to-face interviews (or Zoom interviews in my case as there was still a lockdown!) with two written exercises. The two interviews I had (one with a senior associate and a partner and the other with two partners) were far more enjoyable than I could ever have expected, with my interviewers showing a genuine interest in me as a person. It was a great insight for me to see the culture of friendliness at Bristows in action.
During my first year at Bristows, I spent 6 months working in the Patent Litigation team, followed by 3 months in the Corporate, Tax and Employment team and then moving to the Competition team (where I am currently sat). These departments have given me great experience of both contentious and non-contentious work. Trainee tasks can be very varied, from attending meetings with the client or experts in a particular technical field, to assisting with completions for company acquisitions. Other tasks I’ve had include first drafts of correspondence to opposing solicitors in litigation, and research into both legal and technical topics. There is plenty of opportunity to take on responsibility, and the partners and associates are always very approachable and keen to help whenever I have questions.
