Meet Callum - Trainee Solicitor

What is your role, and when did you join the firm?

I joined AG in September 2021.  I joined the firm as a paralegal working in the Transactional Services Team (TST). I worked as a paralegal for 2 years and a senior paralegal for 1 year. I was solely aligned to working with the Manchester Corporate Team for the majority of this time. During my time as a paralegal, I spent 11 months on secondment at Equistone Partners Europe Limited, a Private Equity firm whose head office is in London. I worked with their in-house legal and compliance team, as well as various investment directors. 

I then started my training contract in September 2024. I am now going into my third trainee seat in the Corporate team (previous seats in Transactional Real Estate and Tax & Structuring).

What inspired you to apply to this law firm?

One of the main reasons I applied to work at AG was because of the comprehensive and wide-ranging areas / sectors that the firm specialises in. AG also has a great reputation as one of the leading law firms in the Northwest, with some really exciting and high-profile clients. This really attracted me to the firm because I love Manchester and grew up here, I wanted to work alongside and learn from the best lawyers in my city.

What does a typical day look like?

Typically, I will commute into the office at around 8am (arriving at 8:45 am) and grab some breakfast. I will then log on at 9 am and check through my emails and to-do list. As a trainee your days will vary depending on the team you are in and your current workload. It has been important for me to take on a variety of work during my trainee seats. I believe this then allows me to come away from the 6 months and reflect on the seat with a well-rounded view on the practice area and whether it is somewhere I could potentially see myself qualifying. During my time most recently in Tax & Structuring, day-to-day I will work on a number of different matters, I would be in and out of calls with partners / managing associates and associates discussing different instructions. I will usually try to leave the office and commute home before 6pm. 

What are your working hours like?

Again, this is very much team dependant. Most recently in the Tax & Structuring team I often work between 9am – 6pm but there are of course times when I need to be around later and log back on after grabbing some food or playing football in the evenings.

What is the single most important thing you have learned so far as a trainee?

The importance of asking questions at the outset when taking on new instructions or working on something for the first time. It is critical to get as much as possible from the initial conversations with the respective fee earner, this way you can develop an appropriate level of background context when starting work on a new workstream or for a new client. 

What are your top tips for someone applying to this law firm?

Read about AG, our areas of expertise and key clients. It is also worth understanding our initiatives outside of fee earning. Think about why you think AG is the right place for you and why you believe this is where you can take the next step in your legal career. If you are applying to the firm then be prepared to display how you are ready to work in this fast-paced and exciting environment. 

What’s the best piece of work you’ve been involved in?

I have led on the verification workstream of two separate IPOs for clients of the Manchester Corporate team. The first for Lad Bible at the end of 2021 and the second for Applied Nutrition during 2024. 

I have also worked on some really interesting and exciting matters during my time in the real estate and tax teams. 

What are the most important qualities you need to be a lawyer?

Hardworking, analytical, organised and approachable.