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A Trainee's Diary - Seat Three

My penultimate seat before qualifying involved a concoction of Private Client and Employment Law. Naturally contrasting areas, but I always find it important to learn as much as possible in life. As the saying goes, “knowledge is power”. This is something that I have noticed over my last 17/18 months with Dawson Hart, that regardless of your experience (or inexperience in my case) continual development is always important, especially when it comes to providing the best service possible to a client.

During this seat, I have been under the trusted tutelage of Robin Williams (Employment) and Laura Manton (Private Client) and I have been fortunate enough to assist clients in the following areas:-

  • Wills;
  • Declaration of Trusts;
  • Assisting both employees and employers with Settlement Agreements;
  • Lasting Powers of Attorney, both Health & Welfare and Property & Finance;
  • Contracts of Employment; and
  • The list goes on!

I have had discussions with both Robin and Laura as to why they specialised in their respective fields and the responses were resounding – the client interaction. This is something that I have experienced in abundance during this seat via Will instructions/signings to advising employees on proposed Settlement Agreements. This has shown the importance of the job that we do. This is a point that has been made clear to me during my time at Dawson Hart. For example, a well drafted Will ensures that the client can rest assured that his/her wishes will be followed once they pass. Further, I have experienced many loyal employees who have worked for the same employer for many years, but it can come a time, for one reason or another, that their employment comes to an end. This can be a horrible experience for anyone, but it is our job to ensure that they are receiving the best settlement.

I will miss my time with both departments, especially the conversations with Robin regarding music and films, and the handing of Lindt chocolate on a Tuesday and Thursday between Robin and Laura (I was strong enough to say “no” most weeks).

Onwards and upwards – back to Litigation and Commercial with Nick for the for the final sprint towards the finish line of qualification.