Alex Martin
“I was given a good level of responsibility right from the beginning.”
Key Facts
Read Law at Manchester
Joined A&O
March 2009
Going into a highly technical area such as Derivatives and Structured Finance within the International Capital Markets (ICM) group at A&O was always going to be a challenge. The group prides itself on the variety of awards it has won over the years for its innovation, excellence and impressive list of clients, so I was looking forward to learning from the best in the industry.
Shortly after you arrive in the department you embark on a week and a half of training, giving you the basic knowledge of the structure of the financial products that exist, some of the previous deals A&O has worked on and, because there's a need to always innovate in this area, A&O's forward-looking strategy. Questions are always strongly encouraged, a theme which I've noticed throughout my time at A&O. Partners, associates, and fellow trainees are always happy to help.
After the initial training, the work starts straight away and I was given a good level of responsibility right from the beginning. Trainee work tends to take the shape of drafting documents, contributing to conference calls where the negotiation of the deal takes place, and liaising with banks to close the transactions. Once you get to grips with the products you're often given small transactions which you run completely on your own, from inception to close, allowing you to experience the whole process and teaching you how to deal with any problems encountered along the way.
We've also had some great social events such as regular team drinks, meals and a summer party. This allows you to get to know your colleagues, something which is invaluable and allows you to feel part of the team.