CMS is a Future Facing, full-service law firm with over 70 offices in 40 + countries. But what is life really like working at such a prestigious firm?
Below We interview Ambreen, a current CMS Trainee to find out about her time at the firm, her reasons for applying to CMS and how she is finding her traineeship.
Ambreen, tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Ambreen and I studied Law with French Language at the University of Glasgow, spending a year abroad in Strasbourg as part of my degree. I am in the final seat of my traineeship and will qualify into the Tech & Media team in August. In addition to Tech & Media, I have also spent six months each in Banking and Finance, Real Estate and Planning, and on secondment to Amazon.
When applying to firms, why did you choose CMS?
I was attracted to CMS because of the opportunities for client and international secondments. I think spending six months with a large multinational company makes for better trainees and solicitors as they can really understand what our clients are looking for. My secondment to Amazon accelerated my learning and gave me valuable insight into how the legal team supports business decisions and company growth. In addition, I was interested in CMS because of the global and high-value nature of the firm’s work. For example, I drafted the board minutes authorising a $1.65 billion loan agreement in my first seat. The parent company was listed on the Tel Aviv stock exchange, so the transaction involved liaising with law firms in a number of different jurisdictions. To play a small part in a large and complex deal like this was really exciting.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I am currently sitting in the Tech & Media team in London. A typical day involves drafting, negotiating and lots of telephone calls. The work that the team does is really varied, spanning data protection, advertising law, technology and outsourcing, and work for the film and TV industry. For example, I am currently assisting with the negotiation of an option agreement to turn a client’s artwork into a cartoon. I am also a member of the Women’s Project, which forms part of the Trainee D&I Committee. We are working on a number of exciting initiatives to support females wishing to enter the legal profession and those already in the workplace. While working from home, the team has stayed connected through regular catch-up meetings, virtual drinks and quizzes.
What piece of advice would you give your student self?
It’s really easy to compare yourself to others and to think that you’re not smart enough to get a training contract. I would tell my student self to highlight the skills I developed through non-legal work in my applications. Working in retail gave me experience of talking to customers, managing my time and working in a team, for example.
To find out more about our training contracts, vacation schemes and work experience, visit our website: https://www.cmsearlytalent.com/
