Interview with Liam Murray, Third-Seat Trainee Solicitor at Addleshaw Goddard

In this article, Eleanor Teh interviews Liam Murray, a Newcastle University law graduate and current Trainee Solicitor at Addleshaw Goddard’s Manchester office. 

Journey into law: 

Q1.  What attracted you to commercial law? Was there ever a moment that made you certain you wanted to pursue this career? 

During my degree, when considering the different career options available within law, I quickly realised that my interests and skill set would be best placed as a solicitor in a large commercial firm. I have always been involved in sports as part of a team, so the idea of working in a large firm with the opportunity to collaborate with many people was appealing. I couldn’t pinpoint one moment, but I have always closely followed the business press and had an interest in current affairs, which I guess links to commercial awareness and wanting to be involved in legal matters that have wider commercial implications.

Q2.  If you had to use 2 words to describe your journey into law, what would they be? And why? 

Resilience: There has been setbacks with applications along the way and a lot of hard work juggling part time jobs whilst completing my degree and the LPC. Rewarding: The hard work has all been worthwhile as it has led me to a fulfilling and exciting job and opened doors to opportunities I never thought would be possible.

Trainee experience:

Q3.  Why did you choose to train at Addleshaw Goddard? What makes the firm special to you? 

When deciding where I wanted to apply, I knew that I wanted to move back to the Northwest rather than to London. I also wanted to be involved in the highest quality work available. Both of them factors pointed to AG, who are not only a fast-growing international law firm, but are a leader in the region. The best thing about AG is the people. Across each office, the firm definitely has a unique down-to-earth culture which makes coming into the office an enjoyable experience.

Q4.  Please tell us about the seats you have trained in / are currently sitting in! What do you enjoy most about each of them, and what do you find most challenging? 

My first seat was Corporate where I worked on a number of deals acting for either buyer or seller side, many of which were backed by private equity houses. Day to day tasks included managing the transaction documents/due diligence process and drafting ancillary documents, so it was a challenge to be organised and stay on top of the many moving parts. Alongside the large deals, there were smaller ad hoc matters which I was able to run with, providing me with excellent opportunities to build relationships with clients. A highlight of the seat was working on a public takeover with our London team and attending a High Court sanction hearing, highlighting the cross-office work available when training at AG.

My second seat was Infrastructure, Projects and Energy. I worked on extremely interesting projects that are often significant in value and size. The team operates in heavily regulated sectors and is called upon to advise both the public and private sectors on novel transactions and projects, as well as supporting clients on more routine commercial matters. Day to day tasks included reviewing and drafting contracts relating to the operation and maintenance of sporting venues in London, attending client calls, supporting on a first-of-its-kind water infrastructure project, managing completions for local authority grant funding agreements, and undertaking complex research tasks. The challenge in this seat was getting used to being out of your comfort zone as a lot of the work is complex and new to what you are used to. A highlight of the seat included in-person trips to clients and being involved in interesting projects that are often widely reported and impact upon all of our day to day lives.

My third and current seat is Commercial Disputes. I am currently working on a wide variety of litigation, ranging from business protection matters to competition litigation. The team have expertise in a wide variety of sectors and is called upon by almost all practice areas in the firm when a dispute arises. A key challenge in the seat is to adapt quickly to the fast-paced nature of certain disputes and be on top of important court deadlines. Highlights so far have included attending two case management conferences and being able to experience negotiation and advocacy first-hand.

Q5.  Trainees are expected to be quick learners, shouldering important tasks from Day 1. Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your responsibilities, and how did you overcome them? 

It is easy to worry or stress when feeling overwhelmed. I have overcome this by ensuring I communicate efficiently with the team I am working with so that colleagues are always aware of my workload and priorities. This allows you to manage expectations and work through your to-do list effectively, without folding to the pressure.

Advice for aspiring lawyers: 

Q6.  How important is it for aspiring lawyers to have legal work experience? Would a lack of it impact their application outcome?  

Legal work experience is of course great if you can get it, but it is by no means required to be successful when applying to firms. Most firms, including AG, will be keen to hear about any valuable work experience you have and the transferrable skills gained from that. I have had many part-time jobs such as bar work at University which gave me relevant skills that have definitely benefited me so far in my career.

Q7.  Following up on that, what transferrable skills have you gained in your non-legal work experiences? How are they relevant in the application process? 

I would say the key transferable skills are communication skills – both working in a team and dealing with customers, and time management when juggling tasks and other commitments around a job and studies. These are relevant in the tasks set during assessments centres etc, a key one being teamwork and problem solving!

Q8.  What is one thing you wish you knew when you were a fresher in university? 

Whilst there really is no pressure or correct time for people to get training contracts or pupillages, I wish I probably worked slightly harder in first year to get a higher grade so that I kept as many opportunities open as possible in my second year. I remember there were some schemes or programmes that the Law School or firms ran which required a certain grade, so I would recommend keeping the door open to as many opportunities as possible. That said, it is important to enjoy your freshers year and not worry about your future career too much until at least second year!

Q9.  What are some essential skills of a commercial lawyer? What should university students be doing now to prepare for their careers? 

Develop commercial awareness, and obtain experience that is fast-paced and requires teamwork/time management. Develop your soft skills – it cannot be understated how valuable it is to be able to communicate well with a wider range of colleagues and clients.