1. What drew you to this firm?

I started at K&L Gates (formerly Middletons) nearly 3 years ago when I undertook a seasonal clerkship. Prior to commencing I was aware of K&L Gates' excellent reputation as a rapidly expanding commercial law firm that had access to a diverse range of clients as well as an outstanding training program.

2. What areas have you worked in?

• Corporate & Transactional - Projects & Transactions and Corporate/M&A
• Financial Services
• Intellectual Property

3. What type of work have you done in each of these areas?

My first rotation as a Graduate, and my seasonal clerkship, were in the Corporate & Transactional team. During my time in C&T, I was involved in a wide range of transactions of varying sizes, including an IPO and an on-market takeover. The work involved drafting short form agreements, preparing company resolutions and minutes of meetings and researching a variety of corporations law matters.

My second rotation was in Financial Services. Here I drafted trust deeds for superannuation funds, assisted in the preparation of product disclosure statements for insurance providers and reviewed trust deeds for investment banks. I also held weekly team meetings in which I updated the group on the many changes to financial services laws that were taking place at the time.

My final rotation as a Graduate was in the Intellectual Property team.. Here, I prepared court documents and attended a wide range of court proceedings in the Federal, Supreme and County Courts, including applications for Anton Pillar orders, actions for misleading and deceptive conduct and applications for summary judgment. I also drafted research memos and briefs to counsel, letters to trade mark examiners requesting registration and performed trade mark and design searches on behalf of clients.

4. What clients have you done work for?

I have worked for clients of varying sizes from large investment banks and hedge funds, to AFL football clubs, retail companies, fashion designers and property developers, as well as smaller pro bono clients.

5. Have you had much client contact?

I had a number of opportunities to meet clients during my Graduate year, including attending pre-trial conferences with counsel. I also had great client exposure in the form of emails, phone calls and tele-conferences. This has provided me with an appreciation of the nature of client demands, the associated time constraints and the management of client expectations.

6. Have you been given much responsibility?

With client contact comes responsibility. Naturally, on large transactions and trials, I was part of a team working together on the matter, but for smaller matters, including pro bono clients, I have been given the responsibility of managing several files. This has involved emailing and writing letters to clients and to the other side, amending agreements and liaising with ASIC, the ATO and Government departments.

7. What type of training have you undertaken at the firm?

At K&L Gates, there is a Learning and Development Program, which runs alongside the College of Law program. Weekly training sessions were held with senior members of the firm as well as HR. The sessions compliment your PLT studies and focus on a range of skills, including, oral presentation and communication skills, commercial drafting, briefing counsel, pleadings and court documents, negotiation skills and more.

8. What hours do you generally work? What is expected?

Generally I work from 8.30am - 6pm. If the workload is low you're not expected to do long hours for the sake of doing long hours. However, occasionally when the workload increases, you will be expected to stay a bit later.

9. How have you received feedback about your performance?

At the end of every rotation we have a performance review with the partner/supervisor and a member of HR. It takes between 30-45 minutes and we run through different categories of performance, ranging from technical excellence, personal and team effectiveness, to client service and business knowledge.

Aside from this formal review process, partners and staff are always willing to provide helpful feedback whenever it is sought.

10. How would you describe the culture and working environment within the firm?

K&L Gates is a friendly working environment where diversity is encouraged as well as a strong team environment. Partners and staff are extremely approachable and willing to help each other out.

11. What do you like most about working for the firm?

The people, the broad range of work and client exposure are what make K&L Gates stand out. When the work becomes demanding, it becomes essential to have good people around you who you respect and get along with you. This is certainly the case at K&L Gates.

12. What tips would you give to someone applying to your firm?

A solid academic history is important, but it's far from being the sole determining factor. Use your cover letter and CV to show your leadership skills, diverse life interests, extracurricular involvement and, importantly, your enthusiasm for a career at K&L Gates.

GOOD LUCK!