We'd like to extend a warm welcome to our two new trainees, David Phinn and Katie Cabrey. David, who completed his degree and Diploma at the University of Glasgow, will take up his first seat in Licensing and Katie, who obtained her degree and Diploma from Strathclyde, will take up her first seat in Residential Property. Over the next two years they will each gain experience in a number of different departments before deciding which area of law they would like to specialise in.
This month we’d also like to congratulate our three qualifying trainees, Lauren McLeod, Lori Beveridge and Martyn Stevenson. We hear from each of them about their experiences at MSHB over the last two years…
‘My first day at MSHB was very comfortable as everyone was so friendly and made me feel at ease. All the staff were really helpful and open to questions (which as a trainee they expect you to ask a lot of!). My first seat in Residential Property was a fantastic experience and it surprised me as I did not enjoy conveyancing at university or during the Diploma, but in practice it is so different. It was this seat that made me realise I enjoy the transactional side of law, which made my second seat in Commercial Property enjoyable too. My last two seats (Licensing and Litigation) were more research based and involved a lot of drafting and advocacy. It was an amazing experience being able to stand up in court on behalf of real life clients. Overall my two years as a trainee have been wonderful. I have learned so much but also made mistakes, which is expected. The good thing about making mistakes so early in your career is that you quickly learn how to resolve them and better yourself as a solicitor.’
Lauren McLeod
‘During my traineeship I’ve completed seats in Employment, Residential Property, Commercial Property and Licensing. I’ve really enjoyed the responsibility I was given from an early stage and the fact I was quickly trusted with dealing with clients directly and given my own case load. This has allowed my confidence and knowledge to develop more than I imagine it would have had that not been the case. Due to having completed seats in four different departments, I have been exposed to a wide range of clients and this has also been a great aspect of my traineeship. And, of course, I’ve had the opportunity of working with a wonderful bunch of people which has definitely been an added bonus! I’m grateful for all of the experiences I’ve gained as an MSHB trainee and look forward to beginning my career as a newly qualified solicitor!’
Lori Beveridge
‘I have just completed my final seat in the Employment department although I’ve had the opportunity of experiencing Commercial Property, Private Client and Litigation during my traineeship. I have had a fantastic experience over the last two years and I’ve most enjoyed the close client contact that I have had from the very beginning. I was entrusted with a lot of responsibility even in the early stages of my traineeship and although that can be daunting it was a great experience for me. Throughout my traineeship I’ve had great opportunities to build client relationships and I feel this has played a big part in making my experience so enjoyable. The traineeship is what you make of it but it always helps to have a great group of people to support you along the way. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at MSHB and I’m now looking forward to putting what I’ve learned throughout the traineeship into practice.’
Martyn Stevenson
