BEALE & CO WELCOMES WORK EXPERIENCE STUDENTS TO ITS LONDON OFFICE

Over the last few weeks, we have welcomed work experience students into our London office, assisting them to gain knowledge of the legal industry and supporting them with their career development.

It was a pleasure to have them with us. You can hear about their time at the Firm below.

As a second year law student, my time at Beale & Co has been an extremely fruitful learning experience and a deep dive into the world of construction law. It is a rare opportunity and I feel fortunate to have spent time with a firm such as Beale & Co, given the wealth of knowledge and experience of the industry that they have. Under the watchful eye of Will Buckby, a Partner at the firm, I was able to get a firm understanding of the basics of construction contracts through an analysis of the NEC4 contract, and I enjoyed learning about the wider players within the industry both domestically and abroad. I was also able to fine tune my interviewing skills thanks to the mock interview and presentation session, which elevated my approach and ability to handle the rigorous nature of such situations.

Kweku Baffoe-Bonnie

I am currently a second year law student at Newcastle University, due to commence a year abroad placement in September. The particular areas of law I am interested in are EU Competition law and Commercial. Therefore, the week long placement at Beale & Co under the supervision of Paul Henty has been a valuable insight into these areas and a useful stepping stone towards achieving my goals.

I have been able to do a variety of activities and delve into the law of international construction and insurance. These activities have included; Researching and producing an article on public procurement; creating a flyer regarding the sanction rules and the possible implications for UK and EU businesses; researching and writing up a data report on the National Security and Investment Act 2021; creating a case summary of recent claims regarding the potential liability of parent companies, where subsidiaries were involved in environmental damage; and assessing the risks of a live contract using RAG status.

I particularly enjoyed the tour around the Lloyd’s building, it was very informative and interesting to see how businesses are operating post-pandemic. Also, the Beale & Co workforce were extremely welcoming and helpful, which made me more comfortable in completing the tasks I had undertaken.

Mollie Sullivan-Jones

I am a lower sixth student at The Grey Coat Hospital, C of E Comprehensive School for Girls. I am currently studying Maths, Chemistry and Art and I will be completing my A-Levels in the summer of 2023. I hope to go onto university next autumn and I am currently considering studying Philosophy and Psychology at degree level. My interest in law has developed since learning about the structure of Greek democracy on my Greek GCSE course, and I have been drawn into looking into the rights of an independent business owner due to my interest and personal creative endeavours in fashion and textile design. All students in my year are encouraged to complete a work experience placement and I have been very fortunate to get my placement with Beale & Co.

This work experience has been a great insight into construction and insurance law and has given me a good foundation and basic understanding of contract and tort law. I did not expect the environment to be so welcoming and have enjoyed working amongst the Beale & Co team: conversing with members and learning about the breadth of careers in law and the various paths that they have taken to get to where they are. I have had the opportunity to shadow Nathan Modell, a partner, and have been tasked with activities that have helped me to actively understand his role. I have also worked alongside two trainees, who have given me insights into two different types of law: one specialising in contentious construction law and the other in non-contentious construction law. In addition to this, I have been exposed to a real-life interview scenario with live constructive feedback, which has been invaluable as I have received feedback that will help to prepare me for the many interviews that I will have in the future, whether for university, a job or a project placement. On the last day of my placement, Beale & Co arranged a tour of the Lloyd’s of London building where I learnt about the historical heritage of Lloyd’s and the insurance industry. I found it very interesting to see the mixture of the industrial architecture and old-fashioned interior design, and their efforts to implement features of the original building into the current building.

Through this experience I have a better understanding of the work environment within a law firm, and it has changed my opinion on law as a real option for the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed my work experience placement and would like to thank everyone at Beale & Co for making me feel so welcomed! I arrived with little to no legal knowledge and leave with a basis and a greater interest.

Eva Sofia Thomas-Daly