DLA PIPER TRAINEE PROFILES
Hear from some of DLA Piper's current trainees across UK offices below.
Beth Adamson – Leeds
What is your current role, when did you join the firm?
I'm a trainee solicitor and I joined in August 2024. I am just about to start my third seat, which is a client secondment with GE Vernova, where I will be sitting in their disputes team and working primarily on international arbitrations in the renewable energy sector.
What inspired you to apply to DLA Piper and do you have any tips for someone looking to apply?
I applied to DLA because it was the only international law firm of its calibre that had offices in the north of the UK. I wanted to train at a top international firm without having to move to London, so DLA was the perfect fit.
In terms of application tips, say what you genuinely feel rather than what you think an interviewer wants you to say. An interviewer will be able to see through something that you are saying without meaning it – I always thought that my line about wanting to stay up north would come across a bit practical, but I think they appreciated the honesty!
What does a typical work day look like for you/ has this varied between your seats?
My first and second seats were completely different, the first being transactional Real Estate and the second being Litigation and Regulatory.
In Real Estate my typical work day involved juggling lots of matters: conducting due diligence, investigating property titles, reviewing documents, drafting agreements, negotiating clauses with the other side etc.
In Litigation & Regulatory it is common for one large dispute to take up most of my day. As well as drafting I take on a 'project manager' type role, being responsible for deadlines, action lists, trackers and liaising with third parties including outside counsel. There is also a lot more research involved in litigation, usually into niche areas of law.
What is the single most important thing you have learned so far as a trainee?
It's best to view mistakes as a learning opportunity rather than catastrophising them; being a trainee is a lot of learning on the job so it's normal to do things wrong. I remember a mentor once telling me it's fine to make mistakes, just not to make the same one twice.
What's the best piece of work you've been involved in?
I am in the Public Law sub-team in Litigation, which I find really interesting due to its intersections with social policy, central and local governance and economics.
The best piece of work I worked on was defending a public procurement challenge brought by a private contractor against a group of local authorities.
I saw the dispute right through from early disclosure to settlement: having the opportunity to tick of most litigious trainee tasks such as research, project management, bundling, disclosure review, engaging counsel, preparing for interim hearings and trial and settlement discussions. In the end the matter was also massively rewarding as we secured an amazing result for our client.
Have you been involved in any of the firms networks?
I am on the committee for Horizons, our social mobility network, attending regular committee meetings and assisting with an initiative called the Bubbles scheme. This scheme places colleagues in a group with other people from various parts of the business, and of various seniorities, as a networking and learning opportunity. Each quarter we have a different conversation starter, and bubbles meet up in their group to discuss the topic before we come together as a network and discuss what was learnt over an informal lunch.
I also fasted during Ramadan, and broke the fast with a delicious meal with colleagues, in support of Mosaic (our racial and ethnic diversity network) and attended Pride with Iris (our LGBTQ+ network).
Ethan Purdie – Edinburgh
What is your current role, when did you join the firm?
I am currently a first-year trainee on a client secondment, previously I was sat in the Edinburgh IPT team, I joined the firm in August 2024.
What inspired you to apply to DLA Piper and do you have any tips for someone looking to apply?
DLA's international platform stood out to me as a huge selling point. The opportunity to work on cross border transactions with the highest calibre of clients from the Edinburgh office was something I knew would help propel my career forward. I would encourage anyone thinking about applying to DLA Piper to research both where we work (location), and who we work with (clients and local counsel) and consider how this aligns with your own career goals and aspirations.
What does a typical work day look like for you/ has this varied between your seats?
A typical working day for me involves starting the day with either a run or trip to the gym. This sets me up nicely to hit the ground running when I get into the office. I usually have breakfast in the office and like to use this time to skim the news and practical law updates for any recent legal/commercial developments relevant to my team. In my current seat typical daily tasks include: setting up calls with stakeholders to discuss internal projects, reviewing contracts we receive from suppliers; and undertaking mark ups/redrafts to propose changes.
What is the single most important thing you have learned so far as a trainee?
Asking for help! It can feel really intimidating, especially when you have just started and are keen to make a good impression. The truth is nobody expects you to be a superstar on day 1, the training contract is a 2 year long process of learning and development and people are aware of this. I would recommend always going to a supervisor with your thoughts on the answer/path forward and asking for feedback, this helps show initiative while ensuring you don’t spend lots of time and energy going down the complete wrong path.
What's the best piece of work you've been involved in?
In my first seat I was involved in a contract for one of our clients 'Merlin Entertainments' who own and operate a variety of entertainments venues across the UK (think Legoland, Alton Towers, Madame Tussauds etc). Our team got to advise on the contract for the New Years fireworks display at the London Eye, it was really interesting thinking about all the background considerations for a big event like this and was very rewarding knowing I had a small part in an event that brings so many people together at the new year.
Have you been involved in any of the firm's networks?
Since starting at the firm, I have been involved in our Horizons network. Social mobility is an issue which I am very passionate about and the firm have hosted a variety of events, including 'courageous conversations' around what is really meant by 'meritocracy' and how it can be a flawed structure. As trainees we also get to be very involved in the planning and running of the Head Start scheme which brings secondary students from underprivileged backgrounds into the firm for work experience, this was a really rewarding initiative to be part of.
Jeremy Lau - London
What is your current role, when did you join the firm?
I am a trainee at DLA Piper in the London office. I joined the firm in August 2024 and I am going into the second year of my training contract.
What inspired you to apply to DLA Piper and do you have any tips for someone looking to apply?
I was drawn to DLA Piper because of the breadth and depth of work it offers. As a global full-service law firm, it provides opportunities to work across different departments and collaborate with colleagues from offices around the world. I’ve worked with teams in the United States, Germany, the Czech Republic, and many other countries. Even at trainee level, the work is top-tier and I have direct client access and am often their first point of contact.
For someone looking to apply, my advice is to do thorough research and consider on how the firm’s profile and values align with your own. Understanding what we do and how we do it at such a high level requires more than just knowing our client list or recent deals—it’s about appreciating our culture and approach. Most importantly, be yourself. The firm wants to know you on a personal level, in addition to your capabilities.
What does a typical work day look like for you/ has this varied between your seats?
A typical work day varies from seat to seat depending on whether you are in an advisory, litigious or transactional seat. I have enjoyed rotating to different departments and picking up different skillsets. I have worked in our Immigration department (under Employment) and Real Estate. A typical day usually revolves around managing client expectation. This could be providing email updates or a phone call to answer any queries or concerns that they may have. Beyond that I often liaise with the other side's lawyers in a transaction to keep matters progressing. Even at a trainee level, I draft a lot of documents such as leases, various licences and other reports. In addition to my own matters, I would be assisting other fee-earners in various tasks and there is no such thing as 'trainee tasks' and 'associate tasks'. No two trainees have the same training experience at the firm and I really appreciate how fee-earners are very supportive of trainees in shaping their own training contract.
What is the single most important thing you have learned so far as a trainee?
I think the most important thing is to be adaptable. Going from seat to seat, matter to matter or even fee-earner to fee-earner can be daunting. Being able to adapt to different working styles goes a long way. As a trainee I would really recommend working with as many fee-earners as possible so you can observe the different ways of approaching tasks and to start build up your own style. Very often something unexpected would come up and you will need to be able to recognise the challenges and to adjust to ensure we constantly provide exceptional client service. Having an awareness of how different people work will also help integrating into teams, which is very important as trainees often don't work on a large transaction from start to finish.
What's the best piece of work you've been involved in?
The best piece of work that I have been involved in is a pro bono lease for a number of reasons. It was very satisfying to be able to work on a pro bono project and to assist a charity in securing a new tenant. More importantly. I led the lease from start to finish. From drafting enquiries to leases, I was in charge of the process under supervision and successfully completed the lease.
Have you been involved in any of the firms networks?
The firm has many people networks and there are a lot of events. I have been involved in a charity bake sale where I baked a pistachio cheesecake and I have attended many events hosted by different networks – celebrations, networking, book launch etc. There is always a lot going on and every Tuesday we receive an email about what is going on in London.
Valerine Munyiha – Manchester
What is your current role, when did you join the firm?
I’m a trainee solicitor in the Manchester office and joined the firm in September 2024. I’m currently preparing to start my third seat in the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure team.
What inspired you to apply to DLA Piper and do you have any tips for someone looking to apply?
I was inspired to apply to DLA Piper because of its global reach and the opportunity to work on complex, high-value matters across jurisdictions.
Tip: Take time to understand the firm’s values and think about how your experiences align with them. Be authentic in your application and use specific examples to demonstrate your motivation and suitability to becoming a solicitor.
What does a typical work day look like for you/ has this varied between your seats?
A typical day starts with reviewing emails and creating a to-do list. Depending on the seat, I might be drafting documents, conducting legal research, attending client calls, or supporting on transactions. Each seat has offered a different perspective, in the Property Litigation team, I conducted extensive legal research and regularly attended client calls. In contrast, my time in the Corporate team involved more drafting and frequent use of legal tech tools.
What is the single most important thing you have learned so far as a trainee?
The importance of adaptability. Each team and matter presents new challenges, and being able to adjust your approach while maintaining attention to detail is key to delivering high-quality work.
What's the best piece of work you've been involved in?
One highlight was assisting on the purchase of an anaerobic digestion plant while in the Corporate team. The transaction involved collaboration with the Projects, Finance, and Litigation teams, offering a great insight into how different practice areas come together on deals.
Have you been involved in any of the firms networks?
Yes, I’ve been involved in several people networks including Horizons (social mobility), Mosaic (race, ethnicity & faith Inclusion), and LAW (gender balance). Getting involved in these networks has been a great way to connect with colleagues across offices and contribute to the firm’s culture beyond fee-earning work.
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