MORRISON & FOERSTER (UK) LLP
and effective communication. These are three areas that are key to giving people a smooth start. We have been delighted with the feedback from the sessions and how quickly the trainees in the September 2016 intake were able to make an impact.” Eliska confirms that she felt “much more prepared after those two weeks, and it really smoothed the transition from LPC to a professional environment”. Not content to arm trainees with an arsenal of useful skills, Lynnsey and the firm recognised the importance of supplementing that with training specifically designed for MoFo’s associates. Lynnsey says: “We offered them training on how to supervise and delegate, so that the skills the trainees were developing in respect of delivering high-quality work were mirrored by what the associates were learning about how to delegate effectively, give constructive feedback and engage
trainees on the work they were given.” This all feeds into a strong emphasis on aligning training with the firm’s core values: “All of the training we offer fits in with MoFo’s strategy, key priorities and overall vision for the firm. For example, one strategic priority is about capitalising on MoFo’s reputation and expertise, so the technical training fits into that. Another relates to building strong networks internally and externally, and the client care modules fit within that priority.” Jeremy summarises the importance of building trainees’ key skills early: “We are extremely focused on them developing the practical skills which they will need on a day-to-day basis in relation to the clients that we have and the type of transactions that they will be involved with. Sometimes we bring external speakers and trainers in to help, including barristers and experts
from the tech world, so it’s a good mix with our own people.” Early training leads to a confidence that encourages greater responsibility. “There is a high level of responsibility in terms of tasks; I have found myself writing articles on developments in the tech sphere, drafting commercial contracts, speaking directly with clients and supporting the department with research,” Eliska reports. “In corporate, there has been a lot more transactional work, including drafting due diligence reports, coordinating input from different departments, and working on mergers and acquisitions.” She is also benefitting from an expanding practice: “When I was on the vacation scheme, the funds and derivatives departments did not even exist in the London office. And now, I will be doing a split seat in these two departments! I’ve already been involved with helping to set up some funds and met a variety of clients, so I’ve quickly gained some great experience.” Trainees are given a liaison mentor, who is there for them throughout the training contract and is distinct from their seat supervisor, serving more of a mentoring role. Encouraging senior people at the firm to get involved with recruitment and training has never been hard, comments Jeremy: “I get the feeling that all the lawyers in the London office are heavily invested in our trainee programme – partly because they see the beneficial effects of it on their particular practice area and client work. That starts from the outset, when we’re making recruitment decisions about who will be our next group of trainees – there is a high level of office-wide input into this, including feedback on the vacation scheme students. We like our prospective trainees to have contact with as many different people in the office as possible.”
Our trainees and associates have a voice and we listen to what they are looking for in terms of training and seek regular feedback about training that has been provided to ensure that we’re meeting their needs
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