🎙 Trainee Solicitor Insights from James Lim at Fieldfisher

Hi there! 👋

In this article, Chirag Morar speaks to James Lim, a trainee solicitor at Fieldfisher, on his journey as an international student from Malaysia to a Trainee Solicitor at the European law firm Fieldfisher. He also offers some insight into his role as a trainee and provides some application advice.

Could you briefly tell us about your journey to secure a training contract? 👨‍⚖️

I was born and raised in Malaysia and moved to the UK in 2017 to pursue a degree in law at Queen Mary, University of London. I graduated in 2020 without securing a training contract, despite completing two vacation schemes. Though it was unfortunate at first, it all paid off in the end when I received a training contract from Fieldfisher in the summer of 2021. I officially started my training contract in September 2023, and it has been a great journey so far.

Could you describe the typical tasks in your seats? 🪑

First seat – Tax and structuring: During my first seat, I had the opportunity to work closely with the equity incentives, corporate tax, and private client teams. This diverse exposure allowed me to gain a comprehensive understanding of various tax-related matters. My primary responsibilities included:

• Researching and Applying Tax Law: I conducted research on various tax legislation and regulations in order to provide relevant advice to clients. This involved analysing client needs and tax scenarios to identify the best solution/structure for the client.

• Drafting Tax-Related Agreements and Emails: I was responsible for drafting various tax-related documents, including agreements and email correspondence.

• Collaborative Work: I worked between different teams and collaborated on projects that required input from multiple tax disciplines. This allowed the team to develop well-rounded solutions for clients.

Second seat - Technology & Data (with a client secondment at a film distribution company): During my second seat, I had the unique opportunity to complete a client secondment and explore data privacy and technology law.

• Data Privacy Issues: I worked extensively on matters related to data privacy, ensuring compliance with regulations such as the GDPR. This involved advising clients on best practices for data protection and drafting relevant documents.

• Technology Law: I worked on tech-related agreements and had to address relevant legal issues surrounding technology, including licensing and cybersecurity. This required staying up-to-date with the legal landscape in the tech sector.

• Global Collaboration: Given the international nature of data privacy, I had various opportunities to collaborate with foreign counsel. This allowed me to understand the rules surrounding cross-border data transfers.

• Client Secondment Experience: My secondment at the film distribution company provided hands-on experience with the legal aspects of media and entertainment. I worked on distribution contracts and licensing agreements but most importantly, I gained practical insights into the industry’s specific legal challenges.

Third Seat - Derivatives & Structured Finance: In my current seat, I primarily support the fee earners in the team by drafting and reviewing finance-related agreements, as well as handling various administrative tasks. These responsibilities are important for ensuring that deals are successfully completed. My responsibilities include:

• Drafting and Reviewing Agreements: I assist in the preparation and review of finance-related documents such as deed of charge, assignments and release.

• Administrative Support: I manage a range of administrative duties, such as organising signing and closings and maintaining records. This support is important for the smooth progression of deals.

• Observing Negotiations: Occasionally, I have the opportunity to observe the negotiation process between opposing counsels. This experience is particularly interesting as it provides insight into the strategic discussions and decision-making involved in finalising deals.

What has been your most challenging experience as a trainee so far? 😆

During my tax seat, I was asked to draft a tax advice note for a corporate client from scratch. This was challenging as it required me to understand complex tax regulations and a good understanding of the client’s corporate structure and objectives. Looking back, it was a daunting task as I was a first-seater but it helped me develop my research and drafting skills significantly. I was also fortunate enough to have a supervisor who was willing to spend the time to go through my work, explain to me what improvements and changes were required. He also explained to me certain concepts which I did not understand at first. This experience taught me the importance of properly understanding the law that you are advising and the importance of conveying information in a way that is easily understandable to the client.

How has Legal Tech impacted the work you do as a trainee? 👨‍💻

Fieldfisher has always been at the forefront of implementing legal tech and the firm actively encourages us to leverage AI tools in our work.

Personally, I use Microsoft Copilot the most. I think it is a good starting point for research tasks. However, I make sure to never fully rely on it and always triple-check the sources before I use anything in the work that I do.

Apart from that, Fieldfisher has developed its own In-House Digital Assistant which is similar to a Generative AI chatbot, that is trained with Fieldfisher’s internal systems. I use it to search for information to answer specific questions about the firm and streamline some of the tasks which allows me to focus more on substantive legal work.

Do you have any training contract/vacation scheme application tips? 📝

Firstly, you need to show genuine enthusiasm and demonstrate that you have a passion for a career in law during interviews and throughout the application process. I believe that most candidates will be good at their job, regardless of who or where they come from. What sets people apart is if they genuinely enjoy being a solicitor.

Secondly, be authentic and let your personality shine through. During my interviews, most interviewers were genuinely interested in me as a person in addition to my capabilities. 

Thirdly, be resilient and keep improving. The path to securing a training contract can be very challenging, and setbacks are very common. Everyone faces them, so learn from each failure and experience. For example, if you were rejected by a firm once, don’t submit the same application in the subsequent year hoping for a different outcome. Change your approach and show them you have improved and give them a genuine reason to reconsider your application.

Finally, please do not have spelling errors in your applications. Ask a friend or a family member (or ChatGPT or Copilot) to proofread or review your applications.

Hope you enjoyed this article!