Sector experts,|leading specialists

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I was first introduced to the concepts of trademarks and copyright during my final year at university, when I studied a module on IP law. I was instantly attracted to this field, having always had a keen interest in media and fashion. I then undertook work experience in the IP department of an international law firm, and found myself actually enjoying the work. Having also enjoyed my corporate law modules, I chose to study an LLM in corporate law but incorporated modules in comparative copyright law and the law of trademarks and brands. As one of the foremost IP firms, which also offers a full-service practice, Bristows was a natural first choice for me. I had a slightly unusual journey to becoming a trainee at Bristows. In March 2020, I was hired as a paralegal into Bristows’ Commercial Technology and Copyright (CTC) Disputes team. For a year and a half, I worked on various IT disputes and got a taste of the friendly culture at Bristows. I applied for a training contract about half a year into the role, and went through the same steps as the other applicants. After submitting my written application, I did a short video interview, followed by two face-to-face interviews and two written exercises. Whilst working as a paralegal did not give any advantage over the other applicants, it gave me insight into Bristows as a business and helped me understand why clients choose Bristows to represent them. My first year at Bristows offered a mix of contentious and transactional work. I did my first seat in the Commercial IP, IT and Data team, followed by 3 months in Real Estate and 6 months in Patent Litigation. Although trainee tasks are hugely variable from department to department, some typical tasks include proof-reading, drafting legal documents such as contracts and letters, researching areas of law (or sometimes, science and tech!) and attending meetings with clients, counsel, or witnesses. One of my favourite memories from the past year involves drafting sections of an expert report and doing a first draft of a witness statement in the lead up to trial regarding a pharmaceutical patent. <blockquote>“One of the best things about training at Bristows is that I get to take responsibility for matters without ever feeling like I’ve been thrown in the deep end, as partners and associates are always happy to help and answer questions.”</blockquote>

Kyrana HulsteinTrainee Solicitor

I chose to study Biochemistry at university due to an inherent interest in understanding the foundation of biological processes; however, soon after starting my studies it became clear that I was not interested in a career in academia or research. Following a placement year working as a financial analyst at a multinational software company and completing my final year dissertation that focused on the commercialisation of IP via a university spin-out, I decided to explore the available career options that combined business and science. It didn’t take long for me to discover the world of IP law and it took even less time for me to subsequently set my sights on obtaining a training contract with Bristows. Bristows stood out for so many reasons – its reputation as one of the preeminent IP firms coupled with cutting edge work, top-tier clients and a uniquely supportive and friendly culture to name a few. After attending the Bristows STEM open day, I gained a valuable insight into the realities of a career at the firm and I came away feeling excited about the prospect of tackling legal and commercial issues in the life sciences and tech sectors. The training contract application was more straightforward than for other firms, with an initial application form leading to a video interview. Following this, I had two interviews (the first with a senior associate and a partner and the second with two partners) and I completed a written exercise. Having interviewed at several other firms, I was blown away by how cordial and sincere the face-to-face interviews felt. It was clear that my interviewers were genuinely interested in my background and were keen to get to know me, my motivations for the career/firm and my aspirations for the future. I was asked an eclectic and engaging mix of intellectually stimulating questions that required me to demonstrate an aptitude for problem-solving and lateral thinking. The interviewers’ personable approach, which is indicative of the firm’s culture generally, made me feel comfortable to confidently tackle these questions and ultimately secure a training contract with the firm. I can confidently say that my first year at Bristows has surpassed expectations. I completed my first seat in Patent Litigation, followed by a 3-month seat in the Corporate, Tax and Employment team and I am currently sat in the Competition department. These seats have provided me with experience in a huge variety of contentious and non-contentious work, including, but of course not limited to: <ul> <li>assisting with the preparation of witness evidence in support of patent infringement proceedings;</li> <li>conducting research into legal, technical and commercial points for client advice notes;</li> <li>reviewing transaction documents as part of the due diligence process for company mergers and acquisitions;</li> <li>attending calls with clients, barristers and opposing counsel;</li> <li>coordinating completions; and</li> <li>drafting material (e.g., presentations and talking notes) for external compliance and know-how training.</li> </ul> <blockquote>“Whilst I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenging work and exposure to high-profile matters, the standout features of life at Bristows have undoubtedly been the people and the culture. It is evident that everyone at the firm has each other’s best interests in mind and this has certainly helped me make the most of my first year at the firm.”</blockquote>

Luca CericolaTrainee Solicitor

Antonia KendrickTrainee Solicitor

Amy HowlettTrainee Solicitor

Naomi FoaleTrainee Solicitor

As a Modern History and Politics graduate, my interest in intellectual property stemmed from my final year dissertation, which explored Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights in relation to access to medicines in Africa. My interest in owning intellectual creations and balancing the need to encourage creativity and innovation by allowing such rights to be protected, with allowing society to benefit from innovative development led to me studying the GDL. I then spent a few years writing IP licensing agreements at a multinational media conglomerate, and a few more years working as an IP commercial paralegal at a luxury fashion focused tech company. Bristows was a natural first choice when deciding where I wanted train and develop my experience working with IP-rich clients. <blockquote>“The interview process at Bristows was distinct in its focus on human beings. I immediately felt as though there was an interest in who I was as a person, rather than a rigid tick box exercise.”</blockquote> There was a nice mix of technical and competency based questions that allowed me to demonstrate my technical knowledge and softer skills I had developed through my experience. At no point did I feel as though I was being asked a trick question. Interestingly, I found the interview process really relaxing and I felt as though I could bring my whole self to the interview, which was very important to me. So far, I have worked in the Commercial Technology and Copyright Disputes department, and the Patent Litigation department. I have been fortunate enough to have had a fair amount of experience in court. While bundling is always more time consuming than you anticipate it to be, the long hours and sometimes stressful requirement for meticulous detail is balanced by the thrill of being in the court room and observing what months (and sometimes years) of preparation and strategy development by solicitors comes down to. Describing the people at Bristows as nice might initially appear to be somewhat lack-lustre. However, there really is a genuine culture of partners and associates being generally pleasant. I was initially surprised by how approachable the partners are and how partners have actively sought to provide me with training and development opportunities. It is a great environment to learn in and I can confidently say that the Bristows trainee experience is nothing like the city law firm horror stories prospective trainees are constantly warned about.

Nicola OkerekeTrainee Solicitor

I studied Philosophy at university with the intention of undertaking the GDL and pursuing a career in law. In second year I completed an IT consulting internship in Tokyo which involved leveraging breakthrough technologies to assist clients’ digital transformations. Both my degree and this internship involved bringing clarity and structure to intangible, complex ideas. I enjoyed this process and this led me to consider intellectual property law. I applied directly to Bristows for a training contract in my third year of university. I appreciated that the application process was more straightforward than other firms, and that the people involved in the process were notably friendly. The questions were unique with a philosophical, think-outside-the-box nature to them which led to interesting discussions. <blockquote>“As well as its leading IP practices, Bristows is widely known to be a friendly firm which values its employees: the firm’s reputation and success rests not just on high quality work but also on effective interaction between people.”</blockquote> Throughout my education, while I always took my studies seriously, I loved getting involved and meeting people through sports and other extra-curricular activities. Bristows looked like somewhere which would provide similar opportunities, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. Since joining last year, I have played softball, chess, taken part in the charity football tournament, been part of the ‘trainee entertainment’ for the Dinner Dance, organised the Bristows Quiz 2023 and ran 10k for the London Legal Walk. There are also a number of team-wide and firm-wide socials, including table tennis at Bounce and monthly ‘hub drinks’. Being part of a smaller intake means you can genuinely get to know your whole cohort and avoid that ‘small cog in a big machine’ feeling. I have enjoyed a variety of contentious and non-contentious work, in a range of sectors (including, of course, both tech and life sciences). Compared to my peers at other firms, I feel Bristows trainees are given responsibility quite early on, but fortunately this does not get too stressful as senior fee-earners are approachable and supportive. Typical day to day tasks include: drafting the ancillary documents to a transaction (such as basic board minutes or shareholders resolutions); creating bundles for trial; proofreading; researching a new legal development or case update; and contributing to internal know-how presentations. I look forward to my next seat in the commercial IP / IT team.

Tabitha ReedTrainee Solicitor

Rubab ZahraTrainee Solicitor

While I enjoyed studying Chemical Engineering at University, I realised after working in a lab during a summer internship that it was not the right career choice for me. I felt slightly unsure about what my future career looked like. I wanted to work in a more dynamic and collaborative environment but still wanted continue to use my background in science. After exploring various options – including potentially becoming a patent attorney – I ultimately decided to focus on the solicitor route. Choosing to become an IP lawyer felt the most natural choice for me as not only could I continue to use my science background but I would also have the freedom to work with a variety of people, businesses and technology. <blockquote>“After realising that becoming an IP solicitor was the right choice for me, I started to focus my search on law firms with top IP practices: applying to Bristows was a no brainer!”</blockquote> The interview process at Bristows was rigorous but I truly felt that the partners wanted to get to know more about me. They asked about my hobbies and were keen to know more about my non-science work experience. Throughout the interview process I got a glimpses of the firms culture and experienced firsthand the friendliness of everyone that works here. So far in my first year I have sat in two 6 month seats; competition and patent litigation. In competition I conducted lots of legal research and even got to have a first attempt at drafting a merger notice – which was a very cool experience! I have been kept busy in patent litigation working across a mixture of technology and life science matters. I have sat in lots of meetings with experts and drafted numerous letters to the other side. I have definitely felt my project management skills improve since being in pat lit- it is the trainees responsibility to keep track of the deadlines and to organise all various the meetings and calls, which is quite a lot of responsibility. Joining a cohort of 10 trainees has also been a major plus for my experience here. We all get on with each other really well and you definitely feel part of the firm and not lost in in a sea of trainees as can sometimes be the case in other firms. The firm has been so welcoming since I joined and there are loads of opportunities to join clubs and attend social events run throughout the year which is great for trainees to meet everyone at the firm and not just those in the departments which you sit.

Sector experts,|leading specialists

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Kyrana HulsteinTrainee Solicitor

Luca CericolaTrainee Solicitor

Antonia KendrickTrainee Solicitor

Amy HowlettTrainee Solicitor

Naomi FoaleTrainee Solicitor

Nicola OkerekeTrainee Solicitor

Tabitha ReedTrainee Solicitor

Rubab ZahraTrainee Solicitor

Alex MocanuTrainee Solicitor