Collin Butuyuyu
“I was thrilled to be offered a place on the Allen & Overy vacation programme.”
Position
Vacation Student
Key Facts
Read Law at Greenwich
Joined A&O
Joining A&O in September 2010
I knew that I wanted to become a solicitor, so for me the real focus was finding the right firm. I was attracted to the fast paced and intellectually stimulating work carried out by most City law firms. However, considering that this would be the firm where I would take the initial steps of my career, it had to be a law firm with a proven track record and commitment to developing their trainee's skills.
After attending numerous open days, campus presentations and a vacation placement with another law firm, I was thrilled to be offered a place on the Allen & Overy vacation programme! During my vacation placement I sat in the Corporate and International Capital Markets departments. I had two excellent trainers who not only took time out of their busy schedules to explain the complex transactions they were working on but also endeavoured to make me feel part of the team by involving me in their work. I also had the opportunity to speak to trainees and other lawyers at varying levels of seniority about their experience and working at A&O.
The vacation placement experience confirmed what I had already suspected. I thoroughly enjoyed the drafting, research and due diligence tasks that I undertook. The work was definitely intellectually stimulating and I also discovered that there was a friendly and supportive working environment at A&O. It was then that I decided that A&O was the right firm for me.
The placement was really instrumental in coming to this decision. This is why I would recommend the A&O vacation placement. You will gain first-hand experience of working in a leading international law firm and have the opportunity to meeta variety of people through the numerous social events on offer.