“The journey to qualification as a trainee is challenging, the one thing that remains constant is the support available to you throughout.”

Our trainees stories

Working with senior members of the team

Sophia Digby, Trainee Solicitor

In each seat, you get to experience a wide range of work and take on a significant level of responsibility. In all of my rotations I have shared an office with a partner, and have worked closely with senior members of the team. I benefited from seeing experienced lawyers work and was able to ask any questions that came up, and I was given tasks as soon as they came in. 

The firm has a very friendly culture, and there are a variety of things to get involved in. I’m on the Diversity and Inclusion committee, but there are also a variety of social and sports clubs. Everyone is involved and takes an interest in your training, looking to give you tasks you’ve not yet done to provide a breadth of training and experience. I have regular catch-ups with one of the legal directors, but I also have a supervising partner and partner mentor that provide me with more formal guidance and feedback.

As a result, you receive extensive training that is personalised and delivered by experienced lawyers. This interest in my training and development, along with the high level of interaction with senior members of the team is one of the best parts of training with Fox Williams.

 

 

 

 

A day in the life of a trainee employment solicitor

Sophie Boghossian, trainee solicitor (currently sitting in employment)

At Fox Williams, our trainees are exposed to a range of practical work opportunities, which provide them with experience across a range of matters and a chance to see the type of work they could be doing once qualified.

 

Sophie Boghossian is sitting in her second seat in employment. She has recently completed a hearing for an employment tribunal and shares her role during this.

“The work starts long before the actual hearing. A lot of prep goes into ensuring everything runs smoothly. Trainees play a vital role in organising our client’s documents for disclosure. This involves reviewing a wide range of materials— email chains, social media messages, images, and even handwritten notes. Disclosure is an essential part of the process. I am given responsibility for liaising with the client and co-ordinating with the team, to ensure we meet the requirements.

Once everything is reviewed, these documents are compiled into bundles, which are then shared with the team and the other side. Keeping the case on track is key, so I also monitor deadlines, remind the team of upcoming tasks, and make sure we’re working efficiently to meet those critical dates.

On the day of the hearing, especially for early sessions, I’m usually in the office by 9am. Hearings often start at 10am, so I use that extra time to prepare the meeting room, ensuring everything is in place— from organising the documents to checking the video connection (a lifesaver in hybrid hearings!). It’s also my responsibility to make sure the partners and associates have everything they need for the hearing, such as certain key documents, as it is never certain when we will get a break to gather those items.

When the hearing begins, my primary role is to take a detailed attendance note. These are essential, especially if there isn’t a court transcriber present (which is typically only for final hearings). Accuracy and thoroughness are crucial since these notes are reviewed by barristers and the Fox Williams team.

During adjournments, whether for the judge to review documents or during the lunch break, I set up calls with our client, the team, and counsel to discuss any developments or next steps. Lunch breaks are also a good chance to recharge (and the judges tend to be quite strict about taking them!).

Preliminary hearings often involve case management orders, where the judge sets deadlines for witness statements, further disclosures, or other key stages. During these moments, I record all the important dates to ensure nothing slips through the cracks— especially since formal written orders can take weeks to arrive.

After the hearing, which usually finishes around 4–4:30 pm, I tidy up my attendance note – there are often lots of typos and abbreviations to iron out as I will be typing very fast! Next, I input the proposed deadlines which were agreed in the hearing into my team’s calendars. Partners are very understanding of how intense hearings can be, so unless something is urgent, the rest of the day is typically a bit quieter.

Being involved in hearings is one of the highlights of my role. It’s fascinating to see how employment cases unfold—how judges approach decisions, the arguments each side presents, and how different elements come together. The experience has been invaluable for my development, offering a front-row seat to the intricacies of employment law in practice.”

 

“What work will I be doing? How does the seat system work?”

Jake Winterbottom, Trainee Solicitor (currently sitting in his final seat in C&T)

As a trainee, you experience four of the firm’s departments for six months each across the two-year training contract. As your training contract progresses, you get more autonomy as to your next seat, with fourth-seat trainees being given the greatest priority as to their seat choice.

 

How have you found your seat experience? Were there any seats you particularly liked?

I enjoyed all of my seat rotations and valued the exposure to a variety of different practice areas. I began in Employment which was one of my original preferences prior to starting my training contract. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience, in particular the contentious work involving senior individuals working in financial services. I was also part of the team carrying out the CBI investigation which meant I got exposure to meaningful and interesting work from the get-go!

I then moved on to Corporate which gave me useful experience of transactional work. Experiencing the cross-departmental nature of transactional work was particularly beneficial; I was able to engage with multiple stakeholders in the client’s business and better understand the nature of corporate support work.

Next, I moved into Financial Services. This is a really good seat to understand the style of work you enjoy whether that be advisory, contentious or transactional work. The clients we worked with interested due to their focus on technology and innovation. I really enjoyed the contentious work I did, this included matters involving the FCA which was particularly exciting.

I am currently in my final seat in Commerce and Technology, which I’ve also enjoyed due to the varied nature of the work and interesting client-base. This department exposes you to Intellectual Property disputes and commercial contract work and gives you opportunities to work in exciting areas such as travel, fashion and FinTech.

 

How have you found the training and mentorship at FW?

Every time I started a new seat, I was given a trainee supervisor who I would either share an office with or sit nearby when in an open plan area. The trainee supervisors provide really useful feedback and in my experience are very approachable and happy to answer any questions you may have (no matter how silly).

Overall, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all my seat rotations, and I can’t wait for life as an NQ!

 

From trainee to partner at Fox Williams

Evie Meleagros, Dispute Resolution Partner

Evie Meleagros Fox Williams

Cast your mind back, what were your expectations when applying to Fox Williams all those years ago?

I applied to FW six months before I started as a trainee – in those days the firm was much smaller and there was no lag between application and joining. That worked well for me as I just wanted to get moving with training and qualification. In hindsight, this was a smart move given that, soon after starting in September 2008, we entered a major recession as a consequence of the subprime mortgage crash in the US.

In truth, I am not sure I had any expectations at that point. Even if I did, they would have been blown out of the water by the economic crisis – my first seat was in the Employment department and I hit the ground running dealing with bankers in the droves who had lost their jobs. It was a fascinating way to learn how critical lawyers are in a time of crisis.

What were the best parts of being a trainee?

Learning! Learning everything.

Everything is new, and each day is another opportunity to learn and develop your skills. You’re given a wider berth, too – we all make mistakes and lots are made as a trainee, but that’s how we learn.
The senior people that I have learned most from and that have supported me the most since I joined the firm, have been those that took that approach with me.

What is it about FW that means you’ve continued your career here?

The people.

I always feared being a lawyer in a London firm would mean that I couldn’t be myself. I don’t necessarily fit the mould of what people might expect a lawyer to be like, and I was worried I would need to shoehorn myself into that mould.

But I have not had to do that once, and I am still here! Being myself and being encouraged to give my opinion on matters (both internally and in respect to client work) , has had and continues to have a huge positive impact on my career here.

What personal qualities would you say you need to succeed here?

Hard working, enthusiastic, positive attitude, a genuine desire to work in a team in a collaborative effort.

Apart from becoming partner, what’s given you the most personal/professional satisfaction here?

Driving forward the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion agenda.

What advice would you give to potential applicants?

Whatever firm you apply to, make sure you are as satisfied as you can be that it is the right firm for you – don’t just think of it in the reverse. A training contract is a two-way street!

I was very conscious of that when I first applied to Fox Williams and it’s one of the reasons why I have spent my whole legal career here.

That coupled with the support I’ve received from all corners of the firm at all levels of experience has been key in getting from trainee to partner.

Search

Search

Portfolio Close
Portfolio list
Title CV Email

Remove All

Download