What drew you to this firm?

There were several standout features of K&L Gates which drew me here: the firm has a wide range of clients and matters to work on, which promised variety in the work I would do; the firm was growing nationally and internationally,and crucially, everyone I met at the firm were open, friendly and welcoming.

Since the merger with K&L Gates the range of clients has expanded, providing greater exposure to international work, and now we are part of a fully integrated global network.

What areas have you worked in?

I've worked in Litigation and Dispute Resolution under Nicholas Brown, and Labour Relations and Workplace Safety under Duncan Fletcher. I've now settled in the Energy, Infrastructure and Resources practice group and am working with Simon Salter.

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

In Litigation, I was fortunate enough to be heavily involved in a successful Supreme Court action regarding a mining tenement in Ghana. This was a great experience and involved research, preparation of witness statements, drafting submissions and allowed me to work closely with Counsel.

In the Workplace team I worked on contentious matters, prepared research memos and prepared submissions and statements for hearings before the Equal Opportunity Commission and Fair Work Australia. I was also involved in researching and drafting advice on regulatory matters such as safety obligations and in drafting and obtaining approval for enterprise agreements.

Work in the Energy, Infrastructure and Resources team has ranged from large transactional work, such as the CAD1.1 billion scheme of arrangement between 2 listed mining companies to advising on equity raisings, providing corporate governance advice, researching and advising on the rights of joint venture parties and performing due diligence on a foreign listed mining and exploration company.

What clients have you done work for?

I've worked for a variety of clients from listed mining and telecommunication companies to high net worth individuals. Being a global firm, K&L Gates is able to attract clients from a range of industries which is great as a graduate because it allows me to get a feel for each industry.

Have you had much client contact?

Yes. I was attending client meetings straight away and I often sit in on calls with clients where I have opportunities to contribute. As you gain experience and confidence you are trusted with further client contact - there comes a point where you become the contact person on a particular issue or file. I found this to be daunting at first but it’s a great learning experience and very rewarding to have that direct level of client contact.

Have you been given much responsibility?

There are a plenty of opportunities for client contact and in addition to this I'll usually get to have the first cut at producing the work that comes in on files I'm working on. Everything that goes to clients is reviewed by a partner, depending on the work this might be at an intermediary stage or just for settling before it goes out. It's a nice balance of getting to cut my teeth on something new on a regular basis while still getting a lot of supervision.

What type of training have you undertaken at the firm?

K&L Gates have an in-house training program covering the full spectrum of skills you need in practice. I found the commercial drafting sessions, run by one of the partners, to be particularly helpful. K&L Gates also provides practical legal training through the College of Law - our PLT course was slightly compressed so we could be admitted sooner.

What hours do you generally work? What is expected?

There is no expectation to work late or show face for the sake of it. I've found that generally, I start at 8.45am, and if you've finished the days work by 5.30, you go home. Of course, being lawyers, we work hard and if there is urgent work to do, we do it. That said, I've not found that I've had to stay back past 7 on a regular basis.

How have you received feedback about your performance?

Yes. There is a formal review process which takes place at the end of each rotation, which involves self-appraisal, input from the people you've worked with and a face to face meeting with the supervising partner where you discuss your experience. I've found these meetings to be reassuring and encouraging, certainly not at all intimidating. Besides that, I've found that I received a lot of real time feedback on my work as I was completing tasks. And everyone is very approachable and willing to give you advice on how to improve.

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

Down to earth and approachable.

What do you like most about working for the firm?

The people, there's a great sense of community and people genuinely take an interest in you. Particularly for me it's nice to know that when you walk into any room at K&L Gates someone's first question is always "how are you" rather than "what do you want".

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

Do a bit of research, so you can demonstrate you understand what the firm's goals and values are. Another pearl of wisdom is to try and use your application to demonstrate that you have a personality – I hear that interesting candidates are attractive candidates.