International Clerkship Report

Raphael Landesmann, September 2008

Sponsoring Office: London
Receiving Office:    Hong Kong

Baker & McKenzie claims to be the world’s most international law firm and the International Clerkship programme is a true representation of why this statement is fully justified. I was absolutely delighted to be offered the chance to spend time in both the London and Hong Kong offices and was able to make full use of the unique opportunity to experience two completely different countries during the course of one summer.

London

For three weeks, I joined onto one of the UK clerkship programmes in order to experience life in Baker & McKenzie’s largest office. I sat in both the Competition and IP practice groups, and both of my supervisors made sure that I was kept busy with interesting and challenging work throughout my time in the Firm. I was able to work on truly international work, alongside lawyers in offices from around the world. I was also given the opportunity to experience client contact and, because my supervisor in Competition was actively involved in developing the Firm’s client database, I was able to learn a lot about the business development side of the Firm’s work. A huge effort was also made to make sure that I understood how the tasks I was doing fitted into the ‘bigger picture’ and it was incredibly rewarding to see how what I was doing was actually being used by the lawyers I was working with as part of the deals or investigations that they were involved with at the time.

Additionally, the Graduate Recruitment team did an amazing job in putting together an extremely varied programme of social events to keep us busy after work in order to allow us to really get to know both the other students on the clerkship and also a variety of people from around the Firm on a personal level. From bowling to cocktail making to a beautiful lunch at the Royal Exchange, every effort was made to ensure that we experienced the best of what London had to offer. I was amazed at how quickly friendships developed and at how much it is possible to feel part of the Baker & McKenzie ‘team’ in the space of only three weeks! The fact that trainees, associates and even partners were eager to come along to all of the events (even after having worked hard all day already) says a lot about the unique atmosphere of the Firm, which truly is non-hierarchical and extremely friendly.

Hong Kong

After my three weeks at the London office, it was time for me to fly across the world to experience Hong Kong. Again, the GR team in London were extremely helpful in sorting out all the necessary arrangements, from flights and visas to accommodation. The efforts taken to make sure that the transition ran smoothly were mirrored by the HR team in Hong Kong, who organised an induction as soon as I got to Hong Kong, which allowed me to understand how the office worked as well as allowing me to start making friends immediately!

In the Hong Kong office, I spent three weeks in the Commercial & Securities Group, which works on a variety of high profile deals and advises on a huge variety of legal and commercial issues. The breadth of the work done by the department allowed me to work on an enormous range of different tasks, involving both Hong Kong and foreign law.
Researching aspects of Hong Kong law, in particular, was extremely rewarding as it allowed me to ‘start from scratch’ and work with entirely new and unfamiliar bodies of law. As for the London office, great care was taken to make sure that I was kept busy with interesting tasks and that I understood where the tasks I was doing fitted in with the work of the department as a whole.

Socially, my experience in Hong Kong was going to be somewhat different to that in London because the local clerkship programmes were all over. Before going to Hong Kong, I was slightly worried that this might mean that it would be harder to integrate into the office, but I was completely wrong!  People from all around the office were extremely welcoming and helpful in terms of answering any questions I had about anything, and were always on hand for a coffee or lunch in one of the enormous shopping malls that surround the office! After work, as well, local trainees and associates were very eager to show me around Hong Kong, making sure I ate at all of their favourite restaurants and drank at all of their favourite bars! On the weekends, as well, they were delighted to take me around to some of the tourist sites and beaches, so that I was able to experience Hong Kong from all sorts of different angles! An account of Hong Kong would be incomplete, however, without mention of its amazingly vibrant and varied nightlife! Every evening, there was something going on and I eventually had difficulties trying to fit it all in! One particularly memorable evening was spent, along with another international clerk, where I was able to invite many of the new people I had met to take the Baker & McKenzie junk (boat) out on the harbour, to see the beautiful Hong Kong skyline from the water, followed by a delicious dinner at one of the nearby islands! While ‘out on the town’, I also had the chance to meet trainees from other London firms who had been seconded to Hong Kong, and all of them were completely baffled and amazed by the opportunity Baker & McKenzie had given me to spend time abroad as part of my summer placement (let alone use its junk!).

Conclusion

My experience this summer has been absolutely amazing! From a professional perspective, it has allowed me to experience top tier work in a variety of practice areas in two completely different jurisdictions, and has shown me exactly what kind of work I will be doing as a trainee solicitor. From a personal perspective, I was able to experience life in a culture completely foreign to my own, in a way that can only be done by working in a foreign country, rather than just travelling through. I was also able to make friends who have opened up new doors to me and enriched me in terms of showing me how warm and welcoming people can be. During the course of the summer, I realised that law firms do not simply send people to overseas offices to help with the work there – they are also sent abroad to build and foster connections between different countries and cultures, and I think that it is these connections which are at the very heart of Baker & McKenzie, allowing the Firm to continuously expand and reach new heights whilst still maintaining the ‘community’ feel that defined the Firm from the outset.  Because of the fluid nature of the Firm, I not only met people from London and Hong Kong, but also people from, for example, the Sydney, Melbourne, Paris and Singapore offices. This is what makes an international law firm truly international and what makes Baker & McKenzie what it is.

I would like to extend an enormous thank you to Baker & McKenzie for giving me this priceless opportunity. From the London office, I want to thank the GR team - in particular, Justine Beedle and Clare Gilhooly - for encouraging me to apply for the scheme initially, and for helping me at every step along the way, as well as all of the members of the London office I met during my time there for all being so helpful, supportive and friendly, both inside and outside the office. From the Hong Kong office, I want to think the HR department – in particular Lucy Lee – for making me feel so welcome, and everyone in my department and throughout the Firm for making my experience in Hong Kong so packed with challenges, excitement and friendship.