A day in the life of a Rix & Kay Trainee Solicitor

My name is Faye Iqbal, and I am currently in my second seat in Corporate at Rix & Kay.  With Corporate, no two days are the same as a trainee, and you have to be prepared to do a variety of tasks, sometimes with very little notice.  This seat is all about businesses: setting them up, selling or buying them or helping a business owner prepare for an exit from their business.  What I have learned during my time here is that no two businesses are the same, and each business has a story to tell, whether it is a newly incorporated company or one weathering various storms over the decades.

8:45- 9:00 am 

I normally start the day with a hot cup of coffee and proceed to check my emails or messages to see if anything important has cropped up that needs to be worked on.

9:00  – 9:15 am

I set about creating a to-do list of all the tasks that I must work on, with the most important tasks being given priority over others. I also set out to work on my tasks in 45-minute increments, as I find this is the optimum level of attention I am able to give to a particular task.

9:15 – 1:00 pm

I start those high-priority tasks which can involve anything from drafting a board resolution to carrying out legal research.  When asked to prepare anything to do with a company, I like to research the company from inception to the present day.  Checking Companies House for incorporation documents, articles of association and other recent filings is a good way to get an overall understanding of the company.  I then proceed to read any information that has been emailed to us by our clients and then peruse LexisNexis for guidance and find precedent documents.  I also like to look for comparable documents on other matters that can be used as a helpful template, whilst keeping in mind that the requirements of each company are distinct.  It is important to ensure each document is tailor-made to meet the exact requirements of our clients.

1:00 – 2:00 pm

LUNCH

2:00  – 2:15 pm

Checking emails again and responding to any other matters that may have arisen during lunchtime.  On Mondays and Fridays, we have a team catch-up at this time, which is a good way of discussing points of interest/matters with colleagues.  On the first Tuesday of the month, we also have a training seminar to keep team members abreast with any relevant changes in the law and discuss topics of interest.  Our most recent talk was on how to maintain accuracy in your everyday work, which is something many can benefit from.

2:15 – 3:00 pm

Once meetings or training seminars have concluded, or if there are none, I like to spend some time reading up on different corporate law topics like the duties of directors or company decision-making.  Reading about different topics gives me comprehensive knowledge about corporate law and helps me better understand the tasks that I have been given to complete.

3:00 – 3:15 pm

BREAK

3:15 – 5:00 pm

Towards the end of the day, I will look at what tasks remain to be completed. This is also a good time to email updates to the fee earners or speak to them directly about progress on tasks.  If we are working on a deal, these timings can become fluid, as we sometimes have to complete on a deal beyond our normal working hours.  Completion of a deal is a stressful but rewarding moment that a Trainee should try and experience at least once during their seat.

Rix & Kay has been a wonderful place to continue my training.  The firm is very supportive and allows flexible working, which is a great bonus.  What I have particularly enjoyed about the firm is the attention given to the well-being of staff, learning from Kathryn Paisley and Alan Zeal and working on exciting deals, delivering outcomes for our clients that they highly appreciate.  Plus the coffee machine in Reception is a huge plus if you are in the Uckfield office!

Faye is now in her third seat in Commercial Property where she is working alongside Richard Cripps