Trainee VICTORIA EITO Graduate in History, London School of Economics
“In my year we had an intake of ten people which is big enough to give you a valuable support network but small enough to provide exposure to all kinds of legal work, learning on the job with partners and associates.”
08
09
I decided to pursue law after completing a degree in History at the London School of Economics. That summer I participated in a Vacation Scheme which confirmed I’d made the right choice. I liked the wide variety of work and the experience gave me the insights I needed. The small intake at Kirkland & Ellis was appealing and since joining the Firm I’ve really felt the benefits of being in a group of ten people training together. Because it’s a small group and the culture of the Firm is friendly and informal, the training process feels open and flexible. You can talk to anyone about the work you’re doing and are encouraged to ask questions. My first seat was competition, which is one of the smaller practice areas, but I found it really interesting. I was part of the team working on an acquisition involving a range of competition concerns. These were referred to the European Commission
and the negotiation process continued for several months. It was enlightening discovering how the partners handled things. Debt finance was my second seat which, like corporate, is compulsory. You try to do as much preparation as possible but for debt finance you really do have to learn on the job and everyone goes out of their way to help you do that. Most of our departments, apart from litigation, feed into private equity work. It’s at the centre of everything we do. So, if you’re interested in private equity, you should definitely apply here. It’s one of the best places you can be. In my second year, I’m looking forward to getting even deeper into projects. But even when you’re just half-way through it’s incredible to realise how much you’ve learned.
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker