Allen & Overy

Amy Carter

I am currently sitting in the Employment & Benefits department.  I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in this friendly department and have been made to feel very welcome during my time here.  I spent the first three months of my seat in the Employment group and I am spending the final three months in the Incentives group.  The work of a trainee in the department is truly varied.  You work for a number of people in the different disciplines, which I have found provides the best experience and opportunity to learn.

The Employment group handles a mixture of Employment Tribunal/High Court matters and advisory work, often working with the Corporate department.  I was involved in defending a client from a claim for unfair dismissal.  From my first day in the department I was fully involved in the case, drafting our defence, preparing the bundle and attending a Case Management Discussion at the Employment Tribunal.  I learned a great deal from the associates and partner on the matter and also from our counsel.  I also assisted with many other cases whilst in the Employment group which enabled me to see different stages of the tribunal process and practice other skills, for example drafting witness statements and responding to a schedule of loss.

My time in the Incentives group has given me a much better understanding of the different types of employee incentive schemes offered by companies.  The topical discussions at group meetings, covering such controversial issues as the future of bankers' pay and executive remuneration in the current climate, provide an invaluable opportunity to learn about current issues.  The international aspect of the department has given me the opportunity to practice my project management skills and work with our overseas offices and outside counsel.  Our clients often operate their share schemes in many different jurisdictions.  I was involved in obtaining advice from overseas counsel in jurisdictions ranging from Argentina to Korea, and also arranged for the scheme documentation to be translated (into about 30 different languages!).